A memorial service was held in Pittsburgh last month for Marion, sometimes known as Effie Merella, and always known as the wife of Chauncy. After an illness of many years, she died at her home on the banks of the North Branch.
Marion and Chauncy moved to the North Branch from Pittsburgh almost eleven years ago. At one time she was a social worker for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and a writer for many conservation and fishing publications, including, fortunately for us, The Riverwatch.
Marion graduated from Waynesburg College with a degree in natural science. She was a member of Theta Pi Sigma, the Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, and The Anglers of the Au Sable.
Marion was well known in the fly fishing community of Pittsburgh. She was an instructor in fly casting, and, according to reliable accounts, one of the best anglers around.
She was the mother of two daughters - Claudia of Pittsburgh and Ann of Falmouth, Maine - and a grandmother to Elizabeth Jean of Pittsburgh. In addition to taking care of Chauncy, she was also a breeder of Maine Coon cats.
Your editors - Ed and Judy - were fortunate to become friends of Marion in recent years. We always looked forward to visiting her and Chauncy when taking a trip to the river.
We mourn the death of Marion.
We grieve for Chauncy, Claudia, Ann, Elizabeth Jean, her relatives and her many good friends in Pennsylvania, in northern Michigan, and around the country.
A beautiful light in their lives has expired.
But we also grieve for ourselves.
We have lost a good and true friend.
The river will not be the same without her.
RWOL
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