Marjorie (“Marge”) Irene Goetz Smith, 98, of Greencastle, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
Born March 8, 1926 in Metamora, Illinois, the daughter of William and Sarah (Brecher) Goetz. She graduated from Metamora Township High School. After high school she received her Bachelor of Science in Education from Illinois State Normal University.
Marge taught at Effingham and Mattoon, Illinois and New Castle, Indiana. She worked at Roy O. West Library at DePauw University in the Language Lab and in other positions for many years.
Marge was a tireless volunteer for many community organizations. She was a former member and Chairperson of the Greencastle Housing Authority, served on the boards of the Away Home Shelter and the Mental Health Board of Putnam County. She was a member of the Greencastle Women’s Club, the League of Women Voters, the Alpha Phi Sorority (serving on their Home Association Board for several years), and a member of the Putnam County Community Coalition. She was instrumental in organizing the Greencastle “Relay for Life” for several years, and she volunteered more than 500 hours for Greencastle’s suicide hotline.
She was a devoted member of Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church for over 50 years, serving in many leadership roles,and taught Sunday School for 40 years. She served as Chairperson of the Council on Ministries and was head of Social Action for United Methodist Women. She served as a member of the Aldersgate Circle of the United Methodist Women. Marge also spent many hours performing other services for Gobin, such as organizing funeral meals and arranging weekly meals for the Getting Ahead program.
Marge met Daniel, her husband of over 50 years, in July 1948 while they were both working for the Geography Field Course offered by Illinois State Normal University. Marge was a cook and Dan was a bus driver for the 7-week course during which they travelled across the western United States. Perhaps this meeting inspired their love of travel, because they enjoyed adventuring around the United States and the world together. Marge continued to travel internationally for years after Dan’s passing. For many years, Marge also enjoyed an annual trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with family members. She loved walking on the beach, watching the animals (especially the birds), and learning to ride an adult tricycle at the age of 96.
Marge was a voracious reader, and enjoyed books ranging from mysteries to memoirs. She also enjoyed an active social life with her many friends in Greencastle. She played cards several times a week, enjoyed golf, and attended many concerts, plays, and lectures at DePauw.
She was a loving mother, a devoted grandmother, and a doting great grandmother. She made every visit to Grandma’s (or Gigi’s) house special, and gave unconditional love to all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband Daniel L. Smith; children Andrew Walker Smith and Cynthia Smith; siblings, Evelyn Stickelmaier, Vera Van Boening, Edith Volz, Kathryn Briggs, Walter Goetz, Doris Weingartner, and Dorothy (Wullenwaber) Goetz.
Marjorie is survived by her daughters, Candace Walker (husband Bruce) and Cheryl Smith (husband Patrick Meehan); sister Wilma Dooley; grandchildren Carolyn Cole (husband Andrew), Sarah Walker, and Maxwell Smith; and two great-grandchildren Daniel and Diane Cole.
Family card games will forever feel a little less exciting, and holiday gatherings less joyful without our matriarch at the helm, but our lives will be that much richer for the innumerable ways she showed her love to everyone around her.
Visitation will be on Saturday January 25th starting at 2:00 p.m. at Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church in Greencastle, followed by a memorial service at 3:00. Donations in honor of Marge’s generous spirit may be made to Gobin Church, Beyond Homeless, or the American Heart Association.
