Bruce Edward Marshall, Spring Hill
June 19, 1938 - June 3, 2021
Bruce Edward Marshall, 82, passed away peacefully on June 3, 2021, surrounded by his wife and three children.
Bruce was born on June 19, 1938, to Orris and Dorothy Marshall in Clay Center, Kansas. He grew up on a farm just outside the city in a house built by his great-grandfather. His only sibling, Keith, had been stillborn, so Bruce was raised as an only child but maintained close relationships with many cousins throughout his life. He enjoyed playing the baritone with a small orchestral group in his high school and graduated near the top of his class.
His family was devout and attended church any time the doors were open, and as Bruce grew older, he took a leadership role in the Conference Methodist Youth Fellowship. His grandmother Tippin had a particularly strong influence on his faith and had long desired for Bruce to become a minister, but Bruce himself didn’t feel the call to ministry until his freshman year of college. After receiving an English degree with a minor in religion and philosophy from Kansas Wesleyan College, Bruce went on to attend seminary at Drew Theological School in New Jersey where he received his Master of Divinity.
Bruce had grown up attending the same small church in Clay Center with his future wife Janice, but they didn’t begin dating until college. Once they were together, however, it didn’t take them long to know they wanted to get married. Bruce sold his baritone to buy Janice a diamond ring, and they became engaged on February 13, 1959. They married later that year on August 30. Together, they had three children, David, Stephen, and Becky, and formed a strong ministry team as they served in the United Methodist Church for 39 years. In total, Bruce pastored at ten churches, primarily in his home state of Kansas.
After being diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, Bruce retired in 1998, and he and Janice moved to Olathe, Kansas and lived near their daughter Becky and her family. They enjoyed several trips together, including a trip to New England to see the fall foliage, one to California for the Rose Bowl, and one to Arizona to meet their great-granddaughter, Audrey.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents Orris and Dorothy Marshall, and brother Keith Marshall. He is survived by his wife Janice Marshall; his children David (Brenda) Marshall, Stephen (DeAnna) Marshall, and Becky (Jon) Burrell; his grandchildren Chris (Ginger) Marshall, Ruthie Burrell, Jamie (Matt) Meier, Joel Burrell, Josh (Haley) Marshall, Nathan (Heather) Marshall, Isaac Burrell, and Lydia Burrell; and his great-granddaughter Audrey Marshall; as well as numerous cousins and friends.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20
The family requests that any memorial donations be made to Kansas Wesleyan University c/o the funeral home.
Funeral Services: Saturday, June 19, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at the Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home in Clay Center, KS
Minister: Pastor Eric Rook
Burial: Greenwood Cemetery, Clay Center, KS
Visitation: June 19, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. until service time at Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home
The service will live stream at https://www.facebook.com/nsrfuneralhome/live