Marilyn Raymond

Throughout her long and fruitful life, Marilyn Raymond enjoyed each and every moment she was given, but she held nothing closer to her heart than the times she spent surrounded by the family she treasured above all else. She was an extraordinary mother who filled her children not only with unconditional love, but with timeless wisdom as well. Marilyn was someone who got the job done whatever it entailed and in everything she carried herself with grace, humility, and a quiet strength that was all her own. As those who knew and loved Marilyn reflect back on her life, they will forever consider themselves blessed to have been touched by such a special woman. The year 1931 was a year of great hardship for our nation as the Great Depression blanketed us and with the doubling of the unemployment rate that year, there was little hope for reprieve. There were small successes, however, such as the successful conviction of Al Capone and the completion of the Empire State Building. This year was one of great celebration in the family of Chester and Helen (Withey) Mueller since it was on the 16th of May that they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Marilyn Mae. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marilyn was raised in Muskegon Heights along with her younger brother, Jack. She attended local schools and graduated from Muskegon Heights High School. New and excited changes were on the horizon for Marilyn when she attended a dance one evening at the AFL-CIO hall as it was there that she met the man who would forever hold the key to her heart. His name was Lloyd Raymond and they met as he bumped into Marilyn literally. Lloyd asked her to dance and she gladly accepted. At the end of the dance, they shared their first kiss and although she thought this was rather forward of him, the couple began dating. Their blossoming romance was soon interrupted, however, when Marilyn went off to Indiana for a year to study to be a dental assistant while Lloyd went into the service. Their dating relationship was a bit rocky at times, but love prevailed. They were united in marriage on May 5, 1951. Just as the couple was adjusting to being husband and wife, they threw being parents into the mix as well with the birth of their daughter, Laura, in 1952. She was followed by Linda in 1955, Douglas in 1956, and Dan in 1965. The Raymond family eventually settled into a home on Davis Road in Norton Shores where they could spread their wings a little since that was considered out in the country back in those days. In fact, they even raised chickens in the yard for a time! Lloyd worked at Continental Motors while Marilyn thrust herself into caring for their home and children. She was a fantastic mother on all accounts as she skillfully nurtured her children and was actively involved in the things they were a part of. At one time or another Marilyn was president of the PTA, a Girl Scout leader, and a leader in the 4-H club. Since she was a firm believer in working hard, Marilyn made sure she instilled this work ethic within her children as well. They were required to pick blueberries during the summer if they were interested in having any spending money. Marilyn was very savvy when it came to money, too, since she could stretch the family dollar like no other. With the money she saved here and there, she was able to afford the things they came to need such as Lindas flute. Marilyn also had regular garage sales to earn a little extra cash. There was plenty of room for fun in the Raymond family in addition to all their hard work. They spent many summer weekends up at her familys cottage on Silver Lake and there were also fun-filled family trips to Cedar Point, Mackinac Island, and Chicago. Once her children were older, Marilyn went to work in medical records at Hackley Hospital where she remained for 14 years until she retired in 1995. Although much of her time was filled with caring for her family, Marilyn also made some time to pursue the things she enjoyed, too. Early in their marriage, she and Lloyd developed a love for horse racing. Over the years they took annual trips in celebration of their anniversary to tracks all over the country including Churchill Downs, Pimlico, the Detroit Race Track (DRC), and many others. They later got into casinos and took regular evening jaunts to either the Little River or Soaring Eagle casinos where Marilyn was known to have quite a lucky streak. At home she loved to work outdoors and putter around the house. She had a tool kit just for her, although Lloyd had to borrow her tools a time or two. Marilyn was very handy and could fix most anything, and she also knew just where everything in the house was kept. She liked to refinish antiques and had a group of 12 lady friends who got together to play Bunco for many years. Nothing was better than when Marilyn became a grandmother. She often babysat when her grandchildren were young and loved having them all around her as often as she could. As they got older, Marilyn had regular phone calls with her grandchildren to keep up with all the goings on in their lives no matter how far away they were living. She was the memory keeper in their family and kept up on all the family history with very detailed albums. Life became more challenging for Marilyn and those who loved her when she began having problems with her health over the past year. She spent some time in the hospital and although she recovered some, her body became weaker and eventually began to fail. In so many ways, Marilyn Raymond made the world such a wonderful place. She was fun-loving with a zest for life that was often contagious to those around her. Marilyn treasured her family and devoted her life to caring for the children she viewed as her greatest blessing. She will be dearly missed, but she leaves behind a beautiful history that will be cherished for generations to come. Marilyn M. Raymond died on Sunday, January 2, 2011. Marilyns family includes her husband, Lloyd; four children, Laura (Randy) Miller of Muskegon, Linda (Charles) Bush of Marlette, Douglas Raymond of Muskegon, and Dan (Marie) Raymond of Comstock Park; eleven grandchildren; eight great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Jack E. Mueller. Services will be held on Thursday, January 6, 2011, 11:00 a.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Homes Muskegon location Muskegon, MI, with Preacher Bruce Wilson officiating. Interment at Mona View Cemetery. Visit with Marilyns family and friends on Wednesday, 6-8 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial donation to Harbor Hospice-Poppen House.