Marilyn Ann Fletcher

She was born in Frankfort, Kansas, on October 20, 1933, the first child of Alice (Myers) and Glen Alexander. She lived in and around the Frankfort area until she graduated from Frankfort High School in 1950. Soon after graduation, Marilyn joined Southwestern Bell Telephone and moved to Topeka. There she established a group of lifelong friends who called themselves the “Ex-Belles”. On September 27, 1952, she married her high school sweetheart, Benjamin V. Fletcher, Jr. Her husband joined the army and was soon stationed in Kitzingen, Germany. Marilyn joined him there shortly after his deployment and they lived on the economy for the next few years where they had the time of their lives.

Back in the U.S., they were blessed with three children. Once they were all in school, Marilyn started college to obtain a teaching degree and graduated from Washburn University in 1972. Her first position was at Tecumseh North Grade School where she taught two years before transferring to the newly built Shawnee Heights Elementary School in the fall of 1974. While there, she was instrumental in the grant funding, design, building coordination and rollout of the Shawnee Heights Outdoor Education Site (SHOES). She retired from teaching in 1994. She loved flowers and had a natural born skill with dried flower arrangements. She was an active member of the DN Chapter of P.E.O., the Topeka Button Club, the Topeka Bible Church and was a faithful representative of Stonecroft Ministries. In her later years she loved spending her time putting together puzzles, was an avid reader and had an interest in rocks. Her husband, Ben, preceded her in death in April, 2016. Survivors include two daughters, DeAnna Ellis of San Antonio, TX and Lori Fletcher of Kansas City MO, a son Michael (Lynn) Fletcher of Columbia, MO, two grandsons, Benjamin V. Fletcher, III and Alexander M. Fletcher also of Columbia, MO, a sister, Sharon (Joe ) Staggenborg of Marysville, KS and a brother, Gary (Helga) Alexander, of Washington, MO. She is also preceded in death by a sister, Barbara Fenstermacher.

A memorial visitation will be held at the Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home on Monday, February 6th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with a sharing of memories and prayer service to follow at 7:00 p.m. officiated by Pastor Annie Hedquist.  A Celebration of Life Service will be at the funeral home on Tuesday, February 7th at 10:00 a.m.  Private graveside service at the Marysville cemetery in Marysville, Kansas will be at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. 

Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to Restore Hope, a division of the Topeka Rescue Mission providing services to sex trafficking victims.  Please send in care of Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home, 800 S.W. 6th Avenue, Topeka, Kansas 66603.  Online condolences and fond memories may be left at www.brennanmathenafh.com

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