Marvin Sellberg, native Kansan, lifelong farmer, celebrated educator, and respected patriarch died peacefully at his home surrounded by loved ones on January 23, 2025, at age 99.
Born September 23, 1925, in McPherson, KS, Marvin came of age as an only child working on his family’s farm alongside his father, Edwin Sellberg. But it was his mother, Agnes (Henkle) Sellberg, a lifelong teacher honored in the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame, who harnessed her son’s intellect in pursuit of education and instilled an ambition to teach.
After graduating from McPherson High School in 1943, Marvin enrolled in Central College while also enlisting in the US Navy; however, his service was short-lived due to a near fatal accident with a combine. After recovery, Marvin joined Central’s newly formed basketball team as a guard and soon kindled a romance with fellow student Marie (Scittine). Following his 1946 graduation, Marvin and Marie married and moved to Chicago where a scholarship to the University of Chicago awaited Marvin. Sellberg mixed his time with multiple odd jobs to make ends meet while earning his Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) in 1949.
Marvin and Marie yearned for a return to Kansas and settled permanently in McPherson welcoming three children: Marcia, Marlene, and Martin. Sellberg took a faculty staff position at Central College where he taught business classes, served as Admissions Officer and coached Central’s Men’s Basketball for 9 years. In the wake of 1960s desegregation, Marvin was among the first in Kansas collegiate sports to assemble a racially integrated team. He valued character and demanded hard work from his players, and, in return, took great lengths to ensure academic achievement and character development.
In 1968 Marvin joined Tabor College and for the next 22 years was a fixture in the business department. He served as assistant professor of business and economics at Tabor from 1968-78, and after a break of four years teaching at McPherson College, Sellberg returned to Tabor in 1982, serving eight years. As a Tabor professor, he was active in the Associated Colleges of Central Kansas and the Kansas Wheat Commission. He attended the first World Food Conference in Rome in 1974 and presented on such topics as the “Perspective of a Farmer on Hunger” at later conferences. Sellberg received Tabor faculty emeritus status in May 2008 and a former student endowed a Professorship of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship in Sellberg’s name.
Following Marvin’s retirement from teaching, he dedicated his efforts to farm the land his family had settled in the 1880s. And with their children chasing ambitions in business, medicine, and military, Marvin and Marie spent summers working for autumn’s harvest and escaped the winter chill, often aboard a cruise ship, seeing the world. The Sellbergs’ grandchildren anticipated days spent readying crops alongside Marvin and his trusted German Shepherd, Wolfie, and enjoying stories and laughter over supper.
Fifty-eight years of marriage to Marie ended on an unsuspecting weekday and Marvin found himself a widow. He spent time and effort coping with his loss and resolved to seek out the benefits of companionship. After a season of courtship, Marvin married his second wife, Nancy, in 2009. Marvin’s renewed vigor for his shared life with Nancy was spent enjoying time with expanded family, doting on lapdogs, and cherishing morning visits with friends over coffee.
Marvin’s warm and commanding persona will be missed, but he leaves us with a legacy of wisdom and guidance to his family, his students, his athletes, his colleagues, his friends and many more who had the privilege of knowing him.
Marvin Sellberg is survived by his wife, Nancy Sellberg; his daughters, Marcia Meyer (Andrew) and Marlene Waltz (John); his son Dr. Martin Sellberg (Jamie); five grandchildren, Jonas Sellberg, Blair Fox, Scott Wilson, Bret Waltz and Christina Campbell; and many loving great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Stockham Family Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM, Monday, February 10, at the McPherson Free Methodist Church. Burial will follow at McPherson Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Marvin Sellberg memorial at Tabor College (Tabor.edu/give) or the Marvin Sellberg memorial for student scholarships at Central College, ℅ Stockham Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.
Personal condolences may be sent to the family at www.stockhamfamily.com.