Marion Eleanor Knowles of Middletown died peacefully in her home on Sunday evening April 30, 2006, with her children and family by her side. She was such a warm and loving person to all she met and only 70 years young. Marion was a wonderful mother of four children and two stepchildren, and a loving grandmother to her 10 grandchildren.
Marion was born in Hazen, N.D., daughter of Henry and Bertha Buckman. She was number four of five siblings. Her sisters are Virginia Sanders of Redmond, Ore., Marlene Blackburn of Santa Clara, Jeanette Struve (deceased) of Bethel Island and her brother Robert Buckman (deceased) of Anchorage, Alaska.
The family moved from North Dakota to Yakima, Wash. in 1942, then to Palo Alto in 1951, where she met and married her husband, Glenn Brown. Glenn and Marion had four children, Sabrina Dockery of San Ramon, Steven Brown of Belmont, Paul Brown of Middletown, and Athena Herrin (deceased) of Middletown. They divorced after 13 years of marriage. She eventually left the Bay Area for Lake County where she came to know and marry Robert Knowles in 1983. Marion then became stepmother to Ted Knowles of Kelseyville and Tom Knowles of Middletown. Marion and Robert shared the love of bowling, fishing, boating, traveling and hunting for antiques.
Marion had many hobbies including painting and needlepoint. She was an avid bowler and was on a bowling league for many years. Marion and her sister Marlene traveled the states participating in bowling tournaments. She also enjoyed spending time with her sister in Virginia, on her ranch in Oregon and loved fishing in Alaska with her brother, Robert. Boy could she catch fish! Marion loved gardening and spending time with her grandchildren especially when they were in the creek looking for Lake County diamonds, and to all of us that knew her she was “Our Diamond.” All knew Marion”s passion for the love of Jesus Christ. Marion was loved, admired and will be missed by so many.
A very special “thank you” to her son, Paul Brown, his wife Melanie and their children, Sarah and Shane, and Marion”s caregivers, Kathleen Escude and Bonnie Evenred for being so devoted to Marion through her long illness and the support provided by her sons-in-law, John Dockery and Gary Herrin. May God Bless You All!
Marion”s Memorial Celebration will be held at 4 p.m., Friday, June 9 at the Middletown Bible Church. Services will be performed by Pastor Doug Thompson.
Arrangements entrusted to Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel.
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(Published in the Lake County Record-Bee on Thursday, May 25, 2006.)
