Marcia Jane Emslie

Marcia Jane (Sack) Emslie was born on February 9, 1952, in Ponca City, Oklahoma, to John Burner “J.B.” and Rosana (Shelhamer) Sack. She was the third of four children with two older brothers, Shelly and Steve, and a younger sister Margo. Marcia grew up in Concord, California, where she loved playing outside with all of the other kids in her neighborhood. In high school, she participated in gymnastics and band and received a number of athletic awards. She graduated from Concord High School in 1970. Marcia went on to attend Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, from 1970-1972, where she was a member of Chemin house. She loved her years at Graceland, where she made many lifelong friends and met her future husband, Steve. Graceland didn’t have the major she wanted, so she followed Steve to Tucson, where she attended the University of Arizona. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Home Economics in 1974. On December 29, 1974, Marcia was married to Stephen Charles Emslie. She taught middle school Home Economics classes in Oracle, Arizona, until her oldest daughter, Heather, was born in 1981. She then embraced the role of homemaker by cooking, sewing, gardening, decorating, and caring for her family, which became lifelong passions. Marcia’s interest in nutrition began during her Home Economics training and she maintained this throughout her life, focusing on healthy eating and making balanced meals for her family. In 1987, Marcia and Steve built and moved into their home of 32 years in the foothills of Tucson, Arizona. That same year, their second daughter, Allison, was born. As the girls grew, Marcia became more and more involved in her daughters’ activities, becoming a Brownie troop leader, Band Booster, classroom volunteer, and substitute teacher. Marcia loved her Shadow Hills neighborhood and had an active group of friends and neighbors with whom she went on morning walks, shopped for antiques, and played Bunco. She enjoyed making holidays special for family and friends through gifts, decorations, and delicious food. She was known for her cut out and frosted sugar cookies for Valentine’s Day and Halloween, lamb-shaped cake at Easter, and gingerbread cookies at Christmastime. Marcia was a baptized member of the Community of Christ church and was very active with church activities throughout her life. Over the years, she was involved in planning and participating in weekly services, helping with potlucks and other social events, volunteering as a Sunday School teacher, and organizing worship settings, as her mother Rosana had also done. She was ordained as a Priest and embraced the increased responsibilities of that position. She enjoyed yearly summer trips to Whispering Pines Camp in Prescott, Arizona, where she acted as a teacher during family reunions and camp counselor during youth camps. Marcia and Steve shared 43 years of marriage prior to Steve’s passing on March 29, 2018. In 2019, she moved to Ankeny, Iowa, to be near daughter Allison and her family. Marcia quickly found her place in the new neighborhood, participating in many social activities and making an effort to get to know everyone. Her new, beautiful house was built just exactly to her taste. Thanks to the Iowa climate, she embraced gardening more than ever before. Her impressive garden, combined with her welcoming nature and passion for home decorating, helped neighbors know her house as the “enchanted cottage”. Marcia’s strong faith helped her cope with her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. She regretted that she wouldn’t be able to give back to the neighbors and friends who supported her during this challenging time, but hoped that somehow God was using her even through these trials. Despite having an aggressive and painful form of cancer, she maintained her faithfulness, positive attitude, and kind and thoughtful nature until the very end. Marcia passed away on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at Allison’s home in Albia, Iowa. She is survived by her two daughters, Heather Beaman, husband Brian and their children, Kelly and Emily; Allison Boswell, husband Mark and their children, Tyler and Ryan; and her three siblings, Shelly Sack, Stephen Sack, and Margo Mich, and their families.

Marcia Jane Emslie

February 9, 1952 - December 10, 2022