Marion Guggenheim

Marion Guggenheim joined the party on May 14, 1928, the daughter of Emmett Smith Ross and Ethel Mary nee Algeo Ross. She left the party on June 20, 2016.

After graduating John Marshall High School and entering a business administration degree from Spencerian College, Marion entered the workforce in 1952 at General Motors tank manufacturing plant in Cleveland. She met and married Jay A. Guggenheim, and had 4 children. She returned to the workforce when her three oldest children went off to college and then later moved to Taylorville, Illinois with her youngest child. Marion worked for a variety of nonprofit agencies, ranging from developmentally disabled to healthcare issues to human rights. She eventually earned a Masters in Nonprofit Administration from DePaul University and moved to Chicago, Illinois. She retired from work at Loyola Hospital in 1998 and moved back to Taylorville to help her daughter Gay and “favorite” son-in-law John raise a family and live out the rest of her years with the love of her life, William R. Estes.

Never one to stop moving, even in retirement, Marion worked at Memorial School and the YMCA. An inveterate traveler, Marion visited Alaska, Hawaii, and Greece several times. She also ventured to Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Spain, Ireland, England, France, Italy and Sicily. Well-known for her riverboat-style bridge playing and color-crazy quilting, Marion expanded her circle of friends in Taylorville while having a great time. With no regrets, having lived a wonderful life, Marion encourages us all to “Just Do it!”

Marion leaves behind 4 children: Susan of Philadelphia, PA: David (Fran) of Murphysboro, IL; Isadora of Nyack, NY; and Gay (John) Wilhour of Owaneco, IL. She will also be sadly missed by her six grandchildren: Linden Eskanazi and Liana Mark of PA, Ryen Wilhour of SC, Johannah and Madeleine of Taylorville, Sean Wilhour of Bloomington, and Eva Enzenbacher of Australia.

At this time there will be no services. A Memorial/Open House luncheon is planned at a later date for friends and family to get together, share stories about Marion, and eat good food! A notice will be placed in the paperindicating the date, time, and location.  

Donations to a charity of your choice in her memory would please her greatly. She liked to support Christian County animal control, the Sierra Club, the ALS Organization, local Methodist churches, education, public television and radio and any organization to help women, veterans, animals, or victims of strokes.

Sutton Memorial Home in Taylorville is assisting the family with arrangements.