Obituary: Marcia Viegelahn

As received from the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home:

Marcia E. Viegelahn, 79, died Tuesday August 27th at the Houghton County Medical Care Facility.  She was born May 1, 1940 in Stanton, Michigan, the daughter of Eldon and Esther Jones.

Upon graduating from Stanton High School in 1958 Marcia enrolled at the Moody Bible Institute, graduating in 1962 with a degree in Sacred Music.  She then entered the University of Michigan, completing her Bachelor of Music Education Degree in 1964.   This began a long career as a music teacher which included the public schools of South Haven, Calumet, and Lake Linden, Michigan.  Marcia is best remembered for the hundreds of students who received private lessons in both piano and voice.  

June 18th, 1966 Marcia was married to Gary Viegelahn, who was an instructor in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University.  In 1967 Marcia and Gary were in a serious car accident where she suffered paralyses on her left side and lost the mobility of her left hand.   She did not let that slow her down and in 1975 she earned a Master of Music Education Degree from Northern Michigan University and in 1989 was named to the Who’s Who in American Education.   Marcia was an active member of The Lake Superior Music Teachers Association and served as its President for many years.

In 1991 she lost her husband, Gary, to a heart attack.   Marcia reached out to the many foreign students who attended Michigan Tech, inviting them into her home, and was an active member of International Neighbors.   She began teaching English to local foreign students, and made trips overseas as an English teacher to Mongolia, Slovakia and the Ukraine.  

She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Calumet where she served in the youth ministries and as the choir director.  Marcia was a strong Christian and, in her own words, describes how she came to that decision:  “When I was six years old, because of the teaching in Sunday school and at home, I realized my need of salvation from sin.  In my mother’s bed, with her I prayed to receive Christ as my Savior.”

Marcia is survived by her three brothers and sister-in-laws:  Melvin and Carol Jones of Eagle River, Michigan; Merlyn and Nancy Jones of Plainwell, Michigan; Keith and Sally Jones of Boise, Idaho, and Jean (Viegelahn) McLean of Berkley, Michigan.  She was a beloved Aunt to numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 5 – 8 p.m. Tuesday September 3rd at the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet. 

The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday September 4, 2019 at the First Baptist Church of Calumet with Pastor Tony Laidlaw to officiate. 

Online condolences can be left for the family at EricksonCrowleyPeterson.com

Burial will be in the Lake View Cemetery