Marilyn J Spence

Marilyn J. Spence (Saltrom) age 87 died from a stroke on 10/10/17. Marilyn & her husband Bob Spence were residents of Newport Oregon for 27 years. She valiantly struggled with vascular dementia for the past 8 years. Marilyn grew up in Scottsbluff Nebraska where she lived on the family farm with her 9 siblings and her parents Agnes & Albert Salstrom. She worked in the local hospital and moved to Omaha Nebraska to work at the Paxton Hotel. Later, she worked for a trucking firm where she met her husband Bob & they were married for 66 years with one daughter Pam Spence. When they moved to Minneapolis Minnesota, Marilyn worked for Litho Color Plate as a General Manager and later retired from Weston Engraving & Lithography as an Operations Manager. She had an outstanding work ethic. Marilyn loved anything Swedish, spoke Swedish, sewed Swedish costumes and made Swedish Christmas ornaments & cookies & got to travel to Sweden with her Sister in Law Beverly J. Spence. Marilyn's loved rose gardening and was always helping neighbors with flower/landscaping projects. She enjoyed painting, crafts, bowling and was active in the Newport Senior Volunteer Program and the PAC theater. Often, she went crabbing & clamming with her sisters Ruby, Helen & Dick Stertz. Mom was a great cook and was known for her legendary Christmas cookies. She was a good athlete and great baseball player and her picture was on the cover of a Wheaties cereal box "Marilyn - Breakfast of Champions". She loved designer clothes and dressed very fashionably. Her first car was a 1988 Blue Oldsmobile Cutlass SS with white leather bucket seats and she drove with a "lead foot". Marilyn often helped her husband (Maintenance Mgr.) work on landscaping/maintenance projects at Pacific Homes Beach Club in Newport. She is survived by her husband Bob (94) and daughter Pam (63) as well as 4 siblings (Ruby Hendrickson, Betty Carlson, Shirley Carter and Brian Salstrom). Five other siblings preceded her in death: Robert & Ole Salstrom, Ruth Henderson, Helen Stertz and Doris Greg. Marilyn was a remarkable wife & wonderful mom and will be greatly missed.

Tributes

Marilyn J Spence

April 25, 1930 - October 10, 2017