Marilyn Bernice Dilling was born to Fred and Nellie Stuber, the sixth of eight daughters, on August 29, 1929, in Belleville, Kansas. She passed away at Presbyterian Manor in Salina, Kansas at the age of 96 years, 2 months, 28 days.
She lived through the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War, the civil unrest of the 60’s, the assassinations of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert F. Kennedy, and the Viet Nam War. She saw the birth of television, computers, and cell phones, and witnessed the first moon landing. She was a survivor of breast cancer.
Throughout her school years she attended Belleville Public Schools where she was active in Band and vocal music ensembles, winning a 1 in a clarinet music solo. She graduated from Belleville High School in the spring of 1947.
After high school Marilyn attended Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, where she was the 1951 Lilac Fete beauty queen and met Tracy Dilling, her future husband. During her Kansas Wesleyan days, she and Tracy sang together in the college choir traveling to Mexico and various other U.S locations to perform, and met lifelong friends. She worked for N. J. Ward, Esquire, part time during the summers of 1947 – 1951 to help finance her college education. She graduated from Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas in the spring of 1952 with a B.A. in music education.
Marilyn B. Stuber and Tracy W. Dilling were married August 17, 1952, in Belleville, Kansas, at First United Methodist Church. Both subsequently began teaching careers which were soon interrupted with Tracy being drafted into the army. They spent about 1 year in Honolulu, Hawaii, returning home in the fall of 1954. Marilyn substitute taught music in Hawaii and for another year back home before ending her teaching career to raise her three children. She resumed working in the Salina Public school central office from 1973 until 1984.
Marilyn’s favorite hobby was playing bridge. Many a Friday and Saturday night found she and Tracy playing bridge with lifelong college friends or her sister, Mary Agnes Johnson and brother-in-law, Dana Johnson, and sister Judy Killian and brother-in-law Mike Killian, or with bridge club members.
As a member of University United Methodist Church in Salina for over 60 years, Marilyn sang in the church choir and was active in the Women’s Society of Christian Service Club. She was a member of the Salina Municipal Band for several years where she continued to play clarinet. She and Tracy sang duets for weddings and funerals for many years in and around Salina. Their signature funeral duet was The Lord’s Prayer.
Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, Tracy Dilling, sisters Louise Dyer, Lois Elyea, Kathleen Weaver, Ramah Bledsoe, and Margaret Jean, who died at the age of 2 from scarlet fever, and brothers-in-law Ben Dyer, Keith Elyea, Gene Weaver, Dana Johnson, and Robert Bledsoe.
Marilyn will be truly missed by her son and daughter-in law, Don and Betty Dilling of Pratt, daughter Stephanie Dilling of Topeka, son and son-in-law Doug Dilling and Jeremy Musko of Indianapolis, sister and brother-in-law Judy and Mike Killian of Salina, sister Mary Agnes Johnson of Salina, granddaughter Katie Dilling and her life partner, Kurtis Ferguson, of Hutchinson, granddaughter and grandson-in-law Mindy and Shawn Walters of Boise, great granddaughter Maddie Ferguson of Hutchinson, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends from across the U.S.
A memorial service will be held at the Presbyterian Manor Chapel in Salina, Kansas, on Sunday, November 30, at 1:00 PM, with Pastor Dave Parker officiating.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or to Presbyterian Manor of Salina.