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Marion E. Paulson

October 25, 1922 - July 28, 2022
Livonia, MI

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Visitation

Friday, August 5, 2022
3:00 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
Turowski Life Story Funeral Homes
Livonia, West of Middlebelt
30200 Five Mile Rd.
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 525-9020
Driving Directions

Service

Saturday, August 6, 2022
11:00 AM EDT
Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church
14175 Farmington Road
Livonia, MI 48154
(734) 522-6830

*Instate 10AM

Web Site

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Angela Hospice
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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Exceptionally caring and equally loving, Marion Paulson was a remarkable woman to know and love. She lived a life devoted to her faith and gave so much of herself to the family she loved. Her warm spirit and generous ways will surely be missed and fondly remembered for generations to come.

Born to Melvin and Mary Gould on the eastside of Detroit near the Detroit River, Marion Edith, entered the world on October 25, 1922. Although the Twenties started off with a boom in the automobile industry as well as radio and aviation, by the end of the decade, the nation was coping with the effects of the stock market crash. Much of her life was affected by these years, yet Marion approached her life with resiliency and optimism.

During her early years with her two older brothers, William and John (Jack), Marion survived hard times. The Depression years were deeply embedded in their developing years. As children, they would often pick the freshly laid tar from the pavement and chew it like gum. She and Jack were closer in age and did many things together. They especially enjoyed swimming in the Detroit River all the way to Peche Island and back! Often they would walk or bike the seven miles to Belle Isle. Despite these frugal years of eating tar and lard sandwiches sprinkled with sugar, it is remarkable that she lived just shy of 100 years!

Like most teenagers growing up during these times, she enjoyed going to local dance halls. In school, she enjoyed tap dance, yet her weekends were spent at the Jefferson Beach Dance Hall where big bands played in the ballroom. Another favorite dance spot was the Belle Isle Casino. In her later years, she was known for her comical dancing rendition of “Good Ship Lollipop”. When she wasn’t dancing, she and her girlfriends went canoeing in the lagoon. During her high school years, Marion took business classes. A favorite teacher recommended her for a secretarial job for the president of Michigan Stove Co. Marion was elated to take the job!

Not to be forgotten was the meeting of the love of her life, Keith Paulson. He was in the Air Force and stationed at Selfridge. The two of them met at a USO-Detroit News Hiking Club event. The two of them hit it off right from the start which resulted in him hitchhiking back to base because he missed the last bus! At the time, Marion was dating someone overseas, but Keith won her heart. After the war had ended, Keith proposed and the rest was history! Once married in 1946 at Faith Lutheran Church, the newlyweds moved into her mother’s home in Detroit to help ease her loneliness after Marion’s father had died. Together they had two sons, James in 1949 and Thomas in 1951 who was stillborn. Later in 1960, Keith and Marion bought a house in Livonia where her mother lived with them until her death.

Marion found joy in motherhood. She left her job as soon as Jim was born and lived her years as a wonderful homemaker. One of her son’s favorite memories of those years was the shopping trips to downtown Detroit. Marion, her mother, and Jim would take the bus downtown to shop and never missed lunch at Greenfield’s. Another highlight was in 1964 when Marion, Keith, and Jim took a long trip out west to Yellowstone. The trip inspired all of them and was one of their most memorable events.

As a family, they spent every summer traveling back to Keith’s hometown of Tomahawk, Wisconsin to visit his family. Known as a small town where three rivers converged, Marion loved to take advantage of every type of water activity. As a result of their visits, she established very close ties with Keith’s extended family. Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Livonia was a central part of their life. She and Keith modeled a strong faith life and taught Jim to trust in God.

Always active, Marion kept herself moving. She enjoyed horseback riding and rode a retired quarter horse named “Golden Boy” in her younger days. She also loved to bowl, but back problems stopped her. So she accepted WEI bowling at the senior center as a substitute! She also loved caring for her grandchildren over the years. She was their regular babysitter for all of them while their parents worked! Avid gardeners, she and Keith always had a beautiful backyard garden. They spent countless hours maintaining its beauty. Marion enjoyed working in the flower beds even in her later years when she was ninety-four! The garden always seemed to be her special place. She found solace in the simple things in life such as watching birds, looking at trees, and gardening.

Social by nature, Marion and Keith did everything together! They enjoyed traveling and took a memorable trip to Hawaii. Marion was struck by the beauty of the island thinking she had died and gone to Heaven! Another special time was their trip to Alaska to visit Keith’s sister who was living there. They felt like royalty going to places that only the locals knew about to spot glaciers and take in the sights. They also saw many wild animals while on a tour led by park rangers. Marion and Keith enjoyed playing cards with their friends. They each took turns hosting over the years. When she was feeling especially lucky, they’d venture to local casinos and even Las Vegas! In her later years, Jim took her to the Detroit casinos, sometimes with the senior center.

Marion modeled a beautiful example of living life to the fullest. She was a very devoted mother and grandmother and loved her family unconditionally. Always cheerful and easy-going, Marion will surely be missed by the many special friends and family she leaves behind.

Marion Edith Paulson, age 99, passed away July 28, 2022. Beloved wife of Keith. Cherished mother of James (Dianne) Paulson. Dearest grandmother of Christopher (Tiffeny) Paulson, Erika Giordano, and Julie (Matt) Braley. Loving great-grandmother of Emalyn and Andrew Paulson, and Avery, Hannah, and Connor. A visitation will be held Friday, August 5, 3-8 pm, at Neely-Turowski Funeral Home, 30200 Five Mile Road (between Middlebelt Rd. and Merriman Rd.), Livonia. The Funeral will be held at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, on Saturday, August 6, with an instate 10 am until the time of service at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Angela Hospice.

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