Marcella S. Essen

Marcie was born March 27, 1927 to Dominic and Marie Spawn in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. During her childhood years she played with her nine siblings. At age 15 she had polio and was at the Sister Kenny Hospital in Minneapolis. After recovering she graduated from high school in Hibbing, Minnesota and received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She then married Paul Essen and moved to Two Harbors, Minnesota where they were blessed with three children, Diana, Paul and Marty. In 1968 they moved to Fort Collins, Colorado where Marcie earned her Masters degree in psychology from Colorado State University. After divorcing, Marcie moved back to Duluth where she started her career as a licensed clinical psychologist at the Human Development Center. She held many workshops and was highly respected in her field. In 1995, after retiring, she and her friend, Dolores Shannon, began spending winters in Arizona. As her health deteriorated from post polio and Alzheimer's, Dolores was her caregiver and faithful companion until February of this year when Marcie moved to Fort Collins to be near her brother, Lloyd. She resided at the Rehabilitation and Nursing Center of the Rockies until her passing, July 15, 2010. Marcie was a kind and gentle soul, much loved, and will be missed by her family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Diana, and six brothers, Charles, Martin, Richard, Kenneth, Herbert, and David. She is survived by her sons, Paul Laura, of Newton, Iowa, and her son Marty Deb, of Victor, Montana and her grandchildren, Thomas, Chris, Ryan, Kylie, and Sean and one great grandchild, Fiona. She is also survived by her sister, Frances Johnson, Floodwood, Minnesota, her brother Donald Joanne Spawn, Moline, Illinois, and her brother, Lloyd Margery Spawn, Fort Collins, Colorado and numerous nieces and nephews. Services were held at the Rehabilitation and Nursing Center of the Rockies, 1020 Patton Street at 10:00am, Wednesday, July 21st. A Memorial Service will be held at the Presbyterian Church, Goodland, Minnesota at 1:00pm, Saturday, August 21st.