Marion Ruth (Manning) Sears

Marion Ruth (Manning) Sears, age 86, passed away peacefully on the morning of Wednesday, November 6, 2024, in Nampa, Idaho. Born on March 2, 1938, in Denver, Colorado, she was the daughter of John and Salina Manning. She was the youngest of four children - Donald, Gilbert, and Eleanor. 

When Marion was a child, the family moved to Green River where she grew up. She was active in the First Baptist Church in Green River. The family home and the church were later razed in the early 1990s to clear land for the creation of Centennial Park on Flaming Gorge Way. After graduating from high school with the Class of 1956, she worked at the Sweetwater County Treasurer's Office under the leadership of County Treasurer Ben Card.

She met James D. Sears in Green River, and they were married on June 24, 1961. Jim, originally from Idaho, worked for El Paso Natural Gas Company and later for Northwest Pipeline. They moved to Salt Lake City with his job, and in 1964, she gave birth to twins, Barry and Sherry.

With Jim's job in the natural gas pipeline business, they moved to various locations in the region, including Billings, Montana; Inkom, Idaho, and Marbleton, Wyoming. Marion and Jim returned to Green River for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s before settling in Boise, Idaho, where they would remain.

Marion learned to play the piano at an early age and was an avid teacher and musician throughout her life, playing for congregations, and for family gatherings. She gave her heart to ministry and teaching children through bible parables and the use of puppets. In later years, she attended Boise State University where she achieved a life-long goal of earning a degree with honors. Marion enjoyed summers with her family at the family cabin located in Secesh Meadows north of McCall, Idaho. 

She is survived by her sister, Eleanor Waggener, of Laramie, her children, and numerous grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. 

A service will be held on November 21 beginning with a viewing at 10:00 followed by a service at 11:00 at the Summers Funeral Home in Meridian, ID. A funeral escort will begin at 12:00 proceeding to the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery for a burial service at 1:00.