Marcellene Thurman Wangemann

Wangemann, Marcellene Thurman, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 1, 2013, at the age of 85, with her daughter Melissa at her side. Marcellene was an intelligent and perceptive woman who was devoted to her children and grandchildren. She will be greatly missed. Marcellene was born on April 9, 1928, in Galesburg, Neosho County, Kansas, to Eugene Rudolph “Dot” Thurman and Iva Trowbridge Thurman. She was the youngest of seven children and the last surviving sibling. Her brothers were Raymond (who died in infancy), Orville, Harold and Walter Thurman; her sisters were Mildred McCaskey and Marjorie Howard. The brothers and sisters and their spouses regularly gathered, to share food and laughter. Marcellene grew up on a farm near Galesburg, attending a one-room school house. Later, she moved to town to live with her older sister and attend Erie High School. She was a baton twirler in high school and graduated in 1946 as the salutatorian. She moved to Wichita and graduated from the Wichita Business College. Marcellene met her husband, James “Jim” Wangemann, at First Presbyterian Church in Wichita. They were married in the churchs chapel on October 20, 1962. When her children were young, she was president of the PTA at their elementary school and a Girl Scout troop leader. She and her husband also served as Republican precinct committee persons. Over the years, she worked at the Coleman Company, Frontier Chemical Company and the Boeing Company. Marcellene dearly loved antiques and collected and sold Depression glass, milk glass and pattern glass. She also was an avid gardener and grew irises and roses for many years. Marcellene enjoyed being a grandmother. She sewed beautiful curtains for her grandchildrens nurseries. Every Halloween, Christmas, Valentines Day and Easter, her grandchildren could count on a box from her filled with candy and treats. Marcellene loved Christmas and made it special every year with her sweet-potato-and-apricot dish and wonderful spice cake with cream cheese frosting. She and her husband were lifelong Wichita State University basketball fans and had season tickets for many years. They also regularly attended Music Theatre of Wichita performances. Marcellenes husband, Jim, died in 2007. She is survived by her son, James “Jamie” Thurman Wangemann, and his wife, Michele Santos; daughter, Melissa Wangemann Maag, and her husband, Jared Maag; and step-daughter, Carol Gail Staadt, and her husband, Stan Staadt. Marcellene had six grandchildren, James “Tommy” Wangemann, Samuel Santos Wangemann, Emma Elisabeth Maag, James Thurman Maag, Amy Staadt Southern and Michael James Staadt, and one great-grandchild, Madison Southern, born March 20, 2013. Services will be at First Presbyterian Church of Wichita at 10 a.m. Monday, May 6, with graveside services at Mt Hope Cemetery in Galesburg at 3 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to Alzheimers Association, 347 S. Laura, Wichita, KS, 67211 or First Presbyterian Church Economy Corner, 501 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS, 67214. Downing Lahey Mortuary East is handling arrangements.