Marcia Modean
The remarkable Marcia J Modean was born January 3, 1929, to Frederick and Sophie (Hanson) Fink, in Albert Lea, Minnesota. The second of three girls, Marcia grew up on a farm and went to school at District #124 - a one room schoolhouse. She was active in 4-H and won many first place prizes over the years. She graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1946 and worked for John Deere for a little while before deciding to attend the University of Minnesota. Marcia represented her home town in the Winter Carnival Queen pageant in Minneapolis and was on the cover of Farm and Home magazine.
One Sunday, Marcia decided to attend Messiah Lutheran Church, around the corner from where she lived, because she had time before she started her job in admittance at the local hospital. (She had already been to another church service!) She left a "new visitor" post card in the offering and the new intern called on her while working at the hospital the next evening. After mentioning to him she had just stolen two pieces of pie from the medical intern's break room, he asked her if she would have dinner with him the next evening. Six months later, Marcia married the Rev. Dr. Earl R. Modean of Manchester, CT on May 29th, 1954. They spent his Senior year at Augustana Lutheran Theological Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois.
After Earl's graduation, they started a new congregation, Christ the King Lutheran Church in Windsor, Ct. Five years later, Earl and Marcia, were called to First Lutheran Church in Clifton, NJ, where Earl served for 34 years and built a 203 Unit Senior Citizens Housing Complex called Evergreen Manor.
Marcia's children grew up living in the church parsonage in Clifton most of their childhood. In 1980, Marcia and Earl purchased their own home in Saddle River, NJ where they lived during the last 24 years of their ministry before moving to Bend, OR in 2004. When Earl died in 2019, Marcia moved to an amazing independent living community called Whispering Winds and found many new wonderful friends. When she wasn't able to be on her own any more, she moved to Oakland, CA to live with her daughter Jayne and son-in-law Jay.
Marcia enjoyed being a Pastor's wife and working along side her husband. She was the church secretary for ten years and was very active in church functions. Marcia served on the NJ State Lutheran Church Women's Executive Board for four years as well as holding offices in her local Church women's group. She loved teaching preschool at Grove Hill Nursery School (8 Years) which was located at First Lutheran Church and would come home with the funniest stories.
Marcia and Earl had four children, Nancy, Jayne, Kathy and Paul. Marcia always loved a new adventure and drove her kids to NYC every day after school in the family's blue Volkswagen Bug for 12 years. They modeled for magazine ads and catalogues, and also did TV commercials. Marcia and Earl were even in a few ads and Catalogues themselves! It wasn't always fun to have to go into NY after school, so Marcia allowed her children to let out their frustrations, but only in the Lincoln Tunnel. There, they were allowed to yell out swear words they knew, which realistically only amounted to about two really bad ones. By the time they all got to the end of the tunnel, everyone was laughing.
Marcia was extremely lucky throughout her life and always won things! She was on the original "Price is Right" with Bill Cullen and won!. She wrote a jingle for a New Jersey Bank contest and won a built-in pool! (Much to her children's dismay though, they couldn't get it, because they lived in a parsonage.)
Marcia was also a sales associate at Coldwell Banker Realty in Clifton, NJ for 17 years. She received the NJAR Million Dollar Bronze Award along with many Realtor of the Month Awards, where she received her favorite coveted parking spot, as the big prize. It made her so proud!
Marcia and Earl organized and conducted Tours throughout the world for over 25 years. People always wanted to sign up again and again because they had such a ball and laughed all the time on those trips.
Marcia was such a fun mom and made the most creative prize-winning Halloween costumes a kid could ever wish for! She served on the PTA Board in her children's schools and was often the class Mom.
Marcia could draw and paint beautifully. She was always such a wonderful conversationalist and entertained everyone with her stories. She could remember EVERYTHING! She was curious and competitive which kept her interesting and interested. She learned quickly how to work a computer and was on Facebook right away. Marcia kept notes on everything, but most importantly, she wrote down all the funny things that happened with her children and grandchildren throughout the years which everyone wanted to hear over and over again. She was truly unconditional in her love for her family. She was honest and kind and would have made a great diplomat, which makes for the perfect Pastor's wife! She was always cheerful, thoughtful and quick to compliment.
Marcia and Earl were very happily married for 65 years until his death at 92 in November of 2019.
Marcia is survived by:
Her four children: Nancy Moscone, Jayne Modean (husband Jay Sholl), Kathy Murphy (Husband Colin), and Paul Modean (wife Laurie Dryden Modean)
Her eight grandchildren: Travis (fiancé Taylor Nanfria) and Gavin Moscone, Luc Coulier (mom Jayne ) (wife Alex Cochran Coulier), Dylan, Logan (fiancé Darcy Mikrut), and Hayden Murphy, and Hunter and Gracie Modean.
Also, her step grandchildren from Jayne and Jay's marriage:
Whitney Sholl Oesting (husband Manni and children Will and Hannah), and Emma Sholl Kwan (husband Jon)
She was preceded in death by her Mother and Father and two sisters: Phyllis Fink Griffin (Children: Karen Leland ((husband Bernie)) and Laurie Krominga ((Husband Johannes Gaston)) and Gloria (Skip) Procuniar (Children: Steven ((wife Christina)), Mark, and Gary).
Marcia's greatest joy in life was her family and her long marriage to her extraordinary husband. She passed away peacefully in her sleep with her family nearby, sleeping in the same house. She had been bedridden only a week. Just before she passed, a Pastor friend came over and prayed as we all held hands. Her kids sang songs their father used to sing so beautifully. When we recited the 23rd Psalm, Marcia mouthed every last word with her lips, it was so precious... Marcia was two months shy of her 96th birthday.
One Sunday, Marcia decided to attend Messiah Lutheran Church, around the corner from where she lived, because she had time before she started her job in admittance at the local hospital. (She had already been to another church service!) She left a "new visitor" post card in the offering and the new intern called on her while working at the hospital the next evening. After mentioning to him she had just stolen two pieces of pie from the medical intern's break room, he asked her if she would have dinner with him the next evening. Six months later, Marcia married the Rev. Dr. Earl R. Modean of Manchester, CT on May 29th, 1954. They spent his Senior year at Augustana Lutheran Theological Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois.
After Earl's graduation, they started a new congregation, Christ the King Lutheran Church in Windsor, Ct. Five years later, Earl and Marcia, were called to First Lutheran Church in Clifton, NJ, where Earl served for 34 years and built a 203 Unit Senior Citizens Housing Complex called Evergreen Manor.
Marcia's children grew up living in the church parsonage in Clifton most of their childhood. In 1980, Marcia and Earl purchased their own home in Saddle River, NJ where they lived during the last 24 years of their ministry before moving to Bend, OR in 2004. When Earl died in 2019, Marcia moved to an amazing independent living community called Whispering Winds and found many new wonderful friends. When she wasn't able to be on her own any more, she moved to Oakland, CA to live with her daughter Jayne and son-in-law Jay.
Marcia enjoyed being a Pastor's wife and working along side her husband. She was the church secretary for ten years and was very active in church functions. Marcia served on the NJ State Lutheran Church Women's Executive Board for four years as well as holding offices in her local Church women's group. She loved teaching preschool at Grove Hill Nursery School (8 Years) which was located at First Lutheran Church and would come home with the funniest stories.
Marcia and Earl had four children, Nancy, Jayne, Kathy and Paul. Marcia always loved a new adventure and drove her kids to NYC every day after school in the family's blue Volkswagen Bug for 12 years. They modeled for magazine ads and catalogues, and also did TV commercials. Marcia and Earl were even in a few ads and Catalogues themselves! It wasn't always fun to have to go into NY after school, so Marcia allowed her children to let out their frustrations, but only in the Lincoln Tunnel. There, they were allowed to yell out swear words they knew, which realistically only amounted to about two really bad ones. By the time they all got to the end of the tunnel, everyone was laughing.
Marcia was extremely lucky throughout her life and always won things! She was on the original "Price is Right" with Bill Cullen and won!. She wrote a jingle for a New Jersey Bank contest and won a built-in pool! (Much to her children's dismay though, they couldn't get it, because they lived in a parsonage.)
Marcia was also a sales associate at Coldwell Banker Realty in Clifton, NJ for 17 years. She received the NJAR Million Dollar Bronze Award along with many Realtor of the Month Awards, where she received her favorite coveted parking spot, as the big prize. It made her so proud!
Marcia and Earl organized and conducted Tours throughout the world for over 25 years. People always wanted to sign up again and again because they had such a ball and laughed all the time on those trips.
Marcia was such a fun mom and made the most creative prize-winning Halloween costumes a kid could ever wish for! She served on the PTA Board in her children's schools and was often the class Mom.
Marcia could draw and paint beautifully. She was always such a wonderful conversationalist and entertained everyone with her stories. She could remember EVERYTHING! She was curious and competitive which kept her interesting and interested. She learned quickly how to work a computer and was on Facebook right away. Marcia kept notes on everything, but most importantly, she wrote down all the funny things that happened with her children and grandchildren throughout the years which everyone wanted to hear over and over again. She was truly unconditional in her love for her family. She was honest and kind and would have made a great diplomat, which makes for the perfect Pastor's wife! She was always cheerful, thoughtful and quick to compliment.
Marcia and Earl were very happily married for 65 years until his death at 92 in November of 2019.
Marcia is survived by:
Her four children: Nancy Moscone, Jayne Modean (husband Jay Sholl), Kathy Murphy (Husband Colin), and Paul Modean (wife Laurie Dryden Modean)
Her eight grandchildren: Travis (fiancé Taylor Nanfria) and Gavin Moscone, Luc Coulier (mom Jayne ) (wife Alex Cochran Coulier), Dylan, Logan (fiancé Darcy Mikrut), and Hayden Murphy, and Hunter and Gracie Modean.
Also, her step grandchildren from Jayne and Jay's marriage:
Whitney Sholl Oesting (husband Manni and children Will and Hannah), and Emma Sholl Kwan (husband Jon)
She was preceded in death by her Mother and Father and two sisters: Phyllis Fink Griffin (Children: Karen Leland ((husband Bernie)) and Laurie Krominga ((Husband Johannes Gaston)) and Gloria (Skip) Procuniar (Children: Steven ((wife Christina)), Mark, and Gary).
Marcia's greatest joy in life was her family and her long marriage to her extraordinary husband. She passed away peacefully in her sleep with her family nearby, sleeping in the same house. She had been bedridden only a week. Just before she passed, a Pastor friend came over and prayed as we all held hands. Her kids sang songs their father used to sing so beautifully. When we recited the 23rd Psalm, Marcia mouthed every last word with her lips, it was so precious... Marcia was two months shy of her 96th birthday.
