Marion Heather Turner

On August 25th, 2025, the brilliant light in her sky-blue eyes finally dimmed, flickered, and went out. For 85 years, Marion Heather (Rogers) Ford had brightened the lives of all who knew her, with her sunny disposition and giving nature. On that night, when she transitioned to the next stage of existence and began her journey to Paradise, she left behind her husband, Terry Ford of Twin Falls, sons Christian (Debbi) Turner (of Albuquerque), and Todd (Sharon) Turner (of Bremerton, Washington), and daughter Marjorie (Phil) Sell (of El Paso, Texas). She is also survived by 9 grandchildren (Ayla, Celeste, Aurora, and Marina; DyLan and Tyler; Josh, Sarah, and Danny) and four great-grand children (Alissa, Danny, Aaliyah, Brooklyn, and Leon). She was preceded in death by her parents, Lincoln Floyd and Cora Pearl Rogers, and sisters Shirley, Sharon, and Jennie.

Marion Heather Rogers was born in Port Townsend, Washington, on December 21, 1939, the first child of Lincoln Floyd Rogers and Cora Pearl Heathers, a widow with three children who became Marion’s beloved older siblings: Shirley, Sharon, and Wayne. She had one younger sister, Jennie, with whom she was very close, and Cora (who was quite a seamstress), used to dress them alike until in the first grade, Marion didn’t want to be dressed as a twin anymore. Cora asked Marion if she wanted to be called by her middle name, Heather, but Marion blurted out tearfully, “Oh, no, Mom! The other kids will call me Heather the Feather!”

Marion’s father was a Sergeant in the United States Army, and their family was soon to be uprooted as he would be transferred to various Army posts. Marion’s childhood was not an unhappy one, and she said many times that she spent a lot of time swinging on the swing her father built in the backyard, and singing “Over the Rainbow” at the top of her lungs. Like many Army “brats” (as we called ourselves), her family moved a lot, and she wound up as a young teenager in Salzburg, Austria, a country and city which she dearly loved. In 1955, the Austria State Treaty was signed, and United States military personnel living there were reassigned; Marion’s father was reassigned to Darmstadt, Germany.

In Darmstadt, Marion attended high school at Frankfurt American High School, a US Army school for Army members’ children. Along with about 50 other American teenagers, she rode a “Blue Goose” Army bus for the 45 minute trip from the military family housing apartment complex in Darmstadt to the high school in Frankfurt. Marion fit in quickly, and with her baton twirling skills, was soon a high-stepping drum majorette. In 1957, Marion’s father was transferred back to the United States, where he was stationed at the Army installation at Fort Bliss, Texas, and where Marion completed her high school education in nearby El Paso. She had intended to go on to college, but instead got married and had three beautiful children in rapid succession.

Six years of married life, a divorce, no child support, and a succession of unsatisfying short term jobs found her unable to adequately care for her children, and in her early thirties, she sent them to live with their father. Marion found a rewarding career and a welcoming workplace family when she was hired at the National Industries for the Severely Handicapped (NISH), in about 1980. She stayed with NISH until retiring in 2005, to move from the Seattle, Washington, area to El Paso to be near two of her adult children, who had settled there (with her grandchildren).

Life went along without major incidents until 1999, when Marion discovered the “Overseas Brats” page on the internet. Exploring it, she came across a familiar posting, and reached out to the poster, Terry Ford, saying, “I’m not sure you are who I think you might be, but did you attend Frankfurt American High School in 1956-57?” Terry responded affirmatively, and the two of them began an almost 20 year correspondence, which ripened over the years into friendship, then into affection, and finally into a deep and abiding love. In 2018, when Terry lost his wife of 47 years, and became a widower, Marion was a strong comforter. It was probably inevitable and wonderfully appropriate that only a year later Terry dropped to one knee and asked Marion if she would marry him, Marion said “Yes!”, and they were married here in Twin Falls. The next six years were the happiest of their lives. She loved music with a passion, as did Terry, and often one would spontaneously start singing some song from their youth, and the other would join in.

In April of 2019, Marion was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, and the two re-united Army brats were inseparable ever after, treasuring every moment they had together. Neither had ever been so much in love, and their life was wonderful. Their love story tells like a fairytale, and it often brought those who heard it to tears. Marion was one of the kindest, sweetest, most generous, fun-loving’est persons you could ever ask to meet. She always met people with a smile on her face, and was delighted to talk to them about their children. She loved: her children; cashmere sweaters; music with passion; Mexican food; little children; ice water (all day long); Doris Day; a little wine (every now and then); corn on the cob; peanuts and cashews; snuggling with her husband and watching romantic musicals; her only brother, Wayne; her older sister Shirley; sitting outside on our secluded backyard patio marveling in the beauty of the blue sky and green trees; spending time enchanted by the cascading water of Shoshone Falls and the quiet babbling beauty of Rock Creek park; being read and sung to; and shopping at Nordstrom’s.

Terry will miss her dreadfully, and will think of her every time he hears one of her favorite songs, or hears a baby’s gurgling laughter. There will be a short, simple, and informal memorial service at Rosenau Funeral Home and Crematory on October 4, 2025 at 2:00 pm. Instead of flowers, contributions may be made to the Salvation Army.