Marsha Ella Son Weickum

Puyallup, Wash. • Marsha Ella Son Weickum, 60, of Puyallup, Wash., and a former Mini-Cassia native, passed away Friday, March 31, 2017, in Tacoma, Wash., after complications from a stroke and heart failure. She was a vibrant and active lady, always living life to the fullest.

Marsha was born May 17, 1956, in Burley, Idaho, to Forrest Othniell and Frances Meldean Taylor Son. She was the fourth of seven children, and grew up on dairy farms north of Rupert and Paul, Idaho. She attended schools in Rupert and Paul, and graduated from Minidoka County (Minico) High School in 1974. She attended Brigham Young University and graduated in December 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics education with a minor in clothing and textiles. She taught part time in the Salt Lake area after graduation until her first child was born, then focused her energies on homemaking and raising her children until the youngest started school, at which time she became a school volunteer and was recruited as a substitute teacher, a career she pursued the rest of her life. She taught in Utah, Maryland, U.S. military schools in Frankfurt and Ramstein, Germany, and, at the time of her death, was employed as a full-time substitute teacher for the Puyallup School District. She was a supportive Army wife who enjoyed the adventure and challenges of moving, with numerous assignments over the course of 30 years in Colorado, Maryland, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Germany. She loved to travel in Europe with friends and family, learning the languages and customs of the many different countries. Her avocation was sewing and clothing design; she loved to create heirloom clothing and home decorating items - especially wedding dresses for her daughters and blessing dresses for her grandchildren. She loved gardening, interior design, restoring antiques, and was a lifetime learner. Her passion in life, however, was her children and grandchildren, whom she adored.

Marsha married Ricke Weickum on Aug. 6, 1976 in Paul, Idaho, and their marriage was solemnized a year later in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They have four daughters and 12 grandchildren. She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, faithfully serving in many leadership and teaching callings to include Relief Society president and counselor, Young Women and Primary presidency counselors, and numerous teaching callings in all of the auxiliaries. At the time of her death, she was serving on the Relief Society enrichment board, a calling she had served in for most of her adult life, and was a faithful visiting teacher.

Marsha is survived by her husband, Ricke Weickum of Puyallup, Wash.; children, Andrea (Matthew) Jones of Libertyville, Ill., Cambria (David) VanderVeen of Mill Creek, Wash., Nicole (Michael) Pfeiffer of Drexel Hill, Pa., and Britney Weickum of Puyallup, Wash.; grandchildren, Kegan, Caitlyn, Liam and Declan Jones, Makayla, Colton, Richelle, and Gavin VanderVeen, and Morgan, Aubrey, Preston and Beckham Pfeiffer; mother, Meldean Son of Heyburn; brothers, Cary (Sheila) Son of American Fork, Utah, Steven (Rosemary) Son of West Lafayette, Ind., and Stacey (Valerie) Son of Dallas, Texas; sisters, Angela (Jerry) Albertson of Burley, Margaret (Rowland) Bingham of Heyburn, and Meredith Hunt of Burley; mother-in-law, Marion Harris Weickum of Rupert; brother-in-law, Gary (Karen) Weickum of Boise; and sister-in-law, Rebecca (Dennis) Woodward of Pocatello. She was preceded in death by her father; Forrest O. Son; father-in-law, Stanley L. Weickum; and grandparents, Othniell W. and Margaret Simms Son, and Melbert and Thelma Barker Taylor.

The funeral will be held at 12 noon Saturday, April 22, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Heyburn 1st Ward, 530 Villa Dr., in Heyburn. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Heyburn.

Friends may call from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday, April 21, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St. in Burley, and from 11 until 11:45 a.m. Saturday, at the church prior to the service.

The family would like to thank the Central Pierce Fire Department, UW Life Flight, and the doctors, nurses and staff at Good Samaritan Hospital and the Neuroscience ICU at Tacoma General Hospital for their care of Marsha and her family.