Obituary of Marlys June Simons

My Mom, Molly, passed away Oct 2, 2023, from complications of lymphoma. She had been living at Cherished Memories adult foster home in Cottage Grove OR since April 2023.

Marlys June Pruitt Simons was born June 11, 1935 at Longview Memorial Hospital, Longview WA to parents Roland Turner Pruitt and Margaret Ferguson Pruitt (Pearl). Molly was the 5th child of 6. Her siblings were Sam, Olive, Bill, Molly, George and Jane. Her brother, George, who she loved dearly, lives in Sacramento CA. When Roland and Pearl divorced, Pearl was unable to keep the family together, so Molly, at 12 years old, was sent to live at Saint Euphrasia Catholic school for girls in Seattle WA, where her older sister Olive was already living. Molly lived there until she graduated high school at the age of 17 in June of 1952. She then moved to Cottage Grove to live with Olive and her husband. In April of 1953 she married Howard A Simons. They raised four children, Marilyn, Ken, Lorrie and Howard and after 35 years of marriage were divorced in March of 1988.

Mom had a varied work history in her life, from meat wrapper for Gates Meat's to numerous secretarial positions at different businesses and social service agencies. She liked her job with St. Vincent DePaul particularly as well as her tenure as the secretary for OLPH Catholic Church in Cottage Grove. She finished her working life at the age of 80, (she retired on the day of her 80th birthday), working as a teachers aide at OLPH preschool. Her involvement with social services did not stop with her retirement, she remained involved with various church groups and was a volunteer for the St Vincent DePaul society.

In 2016 or so, after a family member did a DNA test with Ancestry.com Molly and George discovered a brother, Charles who was born in 1951 and given up for adoption by their parents. 

So, they have a younger brother! They enjoyed getting to know Charlie and he had many questions for them, as you can imagine.

Mom loved her family, her community, her church, her little house on Jefferson Ave, reading and gardening, but most of all she loved her little dog Fergus. He was a great comfort and joy to her for 13 years. She also loved it when she would run into former pre-school students, they always wanted to say hi to Ms Molly.

Mom is survived by her brothers, George Pruitt and Charles VanDomelen, 4 children Marilyn Vann (Dan Wilson), Ken Simons (wife April Simons), Lorrie Switzer (husband Doug McCauley) and Howard J Simons, (Denise Craigo). 10 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandsons.

The family would like to acknowledge and thank the staff at Cherished Memories, Karen, Nancy, Jodi and Sam for their excellent care and love shown to Mom.

A private burial was held and a celebration of life is planned for June 11, 2024, Mom's birthday.

RIP Mom, love you. 

 

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