Obituary for Marcena Coate
Marcena Coate
03/01/1916 - 09/17/2019
Marcena Coate, age 103, passed away peacefully on Sept. 17, 2019 at Willow Brook Christian Village in Delaware, Ohio. Marcena was born to William Edward Clark and Grace Evans of Rio Grande, Ohio, on March 1, 1916. Marcena was a 2-year graduate of Rio Grande College. As a youth, she was the lead in many college plays and first place winner in dramatic reading contests. She was an outstanding elementary school teacher, bank teller and bookkeeper for her husband’s home building business. We would all consider her role as mother and homemaker to be her most important career.
Those who cherish memories of her include daughter, Linda Coate (Jim Hetzer) and Perry Coate (Jenny Leonhart), Columbus, Ohio; grandchildren, Jeremy (Autumn Giewont Dudick) of Moncure, NC, son of Linda Coate and Jim Dudick; Amber (Michael Hofstetter) of Gahanna, Ohio, daughter of Linda Coate and Jim Dudick; Tyler and Abby Coate, Westerville, Ohio; her great grandchildren, Ethan and Ryan Hofstetter, Jerrin and River Dudick, and nieces, nephews and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, Albert Edward Coate, her parents, sisters (Wanda Getz and Avanall Sunderhaus), aunts (including her Aunt Maude Evans Schafer whom she considered a second mother), uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Marcena at 103 was the second oldest person in her family with her Aunt Sophie Clark Liggett living to 107. We attribute our mother’s longevity to good genes, a contented spirit, avoidance of medicine and continued interest in learning. She first used a computer at age 80. Family members would call to see if she was okay when they hadn’t received their daily email from her.
She was a member of the Northland Church of Christ for her last many years and started life attending both of her parent’s churches. Her mother was a Baptist and her father a Methodist. She, like her mother, had read the entire New Testament. She had read it twice in fact, around age 90.
We look forward to celebrating her life with family and friends at Hill Funeral Home in Westerville, Ohio on Saturday, Sep. 21, 2019. Visiting hours are 9:30-11:00 a.m. followed by her funeral. We know she will bring many blessings to her new realm of life. She was a wonderful, considerate, loving and beloved soul in this one.
Donations to Willow Brook Christian Village would be appreciated.
Please send to: Willow Brook Christian Village, 100 Willow Brook Way S., Delaware OH 43015