Marie "Del" Manson
July 8, 2026
Marie Adele Manson, known affectionately to family and friends as “Del”, passed away on July 8, 2026, at the age of 97. Del leaves behind a legacy of love, sacrifice, and devotion that spanned nearly a century. To her many grandchildren, she was lovingly known as “Mimi.”
Born May 29, 1929, at Wichita Hospital on the corner of Douglas and Seneca in Wichita, Kansas, Del was the beloved daughter of Agnes and Jerome McGinn. She grew up on South Vine Street, just half a block north of Maple, in the close-knit St. Joseph Parish, where she faithfully attended school from kindergarten through eighth grade. She had two sisters, Sally and Rosie, and one brother, Cletus.
Del graduated from Cathedral High School in Wichita, having transferred from Mount Carmel Academy, a decision driven by her desire to be with her closest friends at Cathedral. That choice reflected the woman she would become: someone who valued connection, loyalty, and friendship above all.
In August 1950, she married Donald Lewis Manson of Wichita. Their early married life began in Manhattan, Kansas, where Don pursued his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Kansas State University. They lived in campus housing for veteran students, where Del cooked every meal on a single hotplate. Money was modest, but their life was full. They spent many evenings playing cards with other married couples and building friendships.
After Don earned his degree from K-State, the young family returned to Wichita. Over the years, they called several homes their own, each filled with fond memories: a fourplex by Lynwood Park, a house on Stafford Street, a home on Westview Road in Andover that Don and his father built by hand, then thirty-five years on Zimmerly Court, home to legendary family volleyball games. Finally, as Don approached retirement, they built a home on Clear Creek Circle in East Wichita.
Perhaps no place held more magic for the family than their lake house on Kahola Lake near Council Grove. There, many grandchildren learned to skip stones across the water, went swimming and fishing on summer afternoons, took rides on the pontoon boat, and gathered each year for great Fourth of July celebrations and fireworks.
She made every house a home, always finding ways to welcome others with sincere hospitality. Through the years Del focused on building relationships with those that she loved. She spent countless hours with her grandchildren, investing in their lives and encouraging them in their passions and pursuits. She was the greatest cheerleader for them as well as their parents, through all of life’s ups and downs.
Together, Don and Del raised six children: Denise Claycamp (Skip); Darice Ingle; Don Manson II (Becky); Dennis Manson (Jill); Dan Manson; and Dorine Brittain (Derk). Her family grew to include 24 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson—55 descendants and counting, each a testament to the life she and Don built together. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Donald, and grandson Zachary Brewer.
Del embodied the motto “Make Every Day Matter.” She was a woman constantly in motion—helping her husband, raising her children, and devoting herself to her grandchildren. Her children and grandchildren remember Del’s Irish spirit—lively, expressive, and full of heart. She was passionate in all things, with a warm smile that could light up a room and an even warmer embrace for those she loved.
When the family thinks of Del, the words best describe her: Faith, Love, Sacrifice, and Devotion. Her life was marked by love for her husband, her children, and her grandchildren to the fourth generation. Because of that love, she sacrificed all for her family, supporting and encouraging each of them to succeed.
The greatest demonstration of her sacrificial love came in Don’s final years when she tended to him in ailing health. She gave all she had to physically care for him and comfort him with unwavering devotion. This chapter stands as a powerful example of love in its purest form.
A few years after Don’s passing, Del moved to her last home at Shepherds Crossing. In this season of her life she developed many special friendships. She loved meeting her friends at McDonald’s for coffee and continued hosting games in her home and at ‘The Landing’ for family and friends.
Del remained sharp as a tack well into her nineties—quick-witted, warm, and full of life. At her 95th birthday celebration, family and friends gathered to roast her with humor, sarcasm, and overwhelming love. It was an afternoon of laughter, storytelling, and gratitude for a woman who gave everything to the people around her and never expected anything in return.
She made every day matter. And in doing so, she made every life she touched better.
Del was also devoted to the Lord Jesus, whom she trusted for salvation as a gift by God’s grace through His death and resurrection. Her faith in Jesus was beautifully demonstrated by having a peace that “surpasses all understanding” as she transitioned in her last days to her final home.
A Rosary will be said at 9:30 am; Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, July 14, 2-26 at Church of the Magdalen Catholic Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to Church of the Magdalen, 12626 E. 21st St. N., Wichita, KS 67206
Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.
Services
Rosary: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 9:30 am
Church of the Magdalen Catholic Church
12626 E. 21st N.
Wichita, KS 67206
Funeral Mass: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 10:00 am
Church of the Magdalen Catholic Church
12626 E. 21st N.
Wichita, KS 67206
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Charities
The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Marie "Del" Manson 's name.
Church of the Magdalen Catholic Church
12626 E. 21st St. N.
Wichita,
KS
67206
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If you were a card player of Hand & Foot with Del Manson, you know she loved to say “Do you “want to” go
out?” ~~ And we other players would scoff @losing but laugh at the sweet way she said it. Del was mannerly, loving, a perfectionist and always brought you into the conversation of her chatter. We all loved her, respected her and will miss her dearly. Good-bye to a spirited lady who never thought she was old. I truly loved her.
In caring I give the entire family my love and sympathy.
Connie Marie Schlatter