Marie Roeseler

Marie Stephenson Roeseler, née Riblet, passed away at home with her family in Snow Hill, Maryland, on July 23, 2014, at the age of 93. Marie was a firecracker, who one family friend admiringly called a "force of nature" after meeting her. No one disagreed. She married Lee Roeseler in 1942 and, with the notable exception of World War Two, they saw each other every day for more than 70 years. In addition to her own children and grandchildren, she served as the hub for an extended family of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She loved them all dearly, and the feeling was mutual. She was an active member of four different communities during her lifetime. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Marie graduated from Hackensack High School and earned her degree at Virginia Intermont College. After graduation, she got a job at a bank in New York City and commuted by bus from New Jersey. One day she shared the bus with Lee, a former schoolmate. That commute led to a seven-decade romance, making it the best bus commute ever. After the war, Marie and Lee moved to Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Their plan was to start a farm with Marie's sister Dallas Hicks, and Dallas's husband Charlie. Unsurprisingly, the four city slickers almost immediately realized that full-time farming was not for them. In addition to helping with the chickens, Marie worked at Quakertown National Bank. In the 1980s, Marie and Lee retired and split their time between Petersburg, Virginia, and Lehigh Acres, Florida. Marie was a member of the First United Church of Christ and the Women's Club in both Quakertown and Lehigh Acres. She and Lee defected to the Presbyterian Church when in Petersburg. God seemed okay with this. Marie loved crosswords, mystery novels, laughter, and people. She had no patience for bad manners, and she was a darn good card player. She gave great hugs. She was preceded by her parents, Walter and Marie Riblet; her son, Dennis Roeseler; sister Dallas Hicks and her husband Charlie; her brother Donald Riblet and his wife Helen; nephew Robert Hicks and his wife Judy; and nephew James Hicks. She is survived by her husband, Lee Roeseler; daughters Karen Roeseler Shipman and Janice Roeseler Gault and son-in-law Donald Gault; granddaughter Sophie Gault; grandson Matt Shipman and his wife Julia; and great-grandchildren Nora, Fiona and Violet Shipman; nephew Paul Riblet and wife Kathy; niece Nancy Riblet and partner Evelyn Butler; nephew Donald Riblet; niece Patricia Hicks Hartman and husband Barry; great nephews Eric Riblet and Kevin Hicks; and great nieces Rachael Hartman, Erin Hicks, and Maya Hartman. A memorial service will be held 1:00 PM Sat., Sept. 20th at Jeffrey A. Naugle Funeral & Cremation Service, 135 W. Pumping Station Rd., Quakertown. Call 12:00-1:00 PM at the Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Coastal Hospice, PO Box 1733, Salisbury, MD 21802. www.janauglefcs.com