Marilyn Sue Youngman was born October 27, 1942 in Bethany, Missouri. The second of five children to Kenneth and Helen Youngman she spent her childhood on the family dairy farm outside of Bethany. Her childhood was that of a farm kid gardening and tending to animals. She was active in 4H; a passion which was passed on to her kids and beyond. She attended high school in Bethany and graduated valedictorian in 1960. From there she went to college at University of Missouri in Columbia. Marilyn was a teacher and took her first teaching opportunity in Moss Vale, Australia teaching science at a girl’s school.
Upon returning to the United States, she took a job in Hayes Center, NE where she met her husband of forty-five years Dick Bannister. They moved to Parks Nebraska, where Dick ran a farm. She and Dick began their family, having all three of their children Loc, Kate and Rob before moving to Haigler in 1976.
She helped Dick on the Arikeree River Ranch where they raised Black Angus cattle and farmed. She maintained the household until her youngest started school and resumed her career as a teacher, instructing students in Haigler, Wray and Benkelman/Dundy County. She ended her teaching career in Dundy County in 2009 as the librarian and media specialist.
In the Haigler area, Marilyn taught 4-H. She was active in the Haigler Methodist Church teaching Bible School, Sunday School, participated in the United Methodist Women, and helped with a missionary trip to Kenya in 2004. She assisted at the Haigler post office and was the librarian at the Dundy County Library in Benkelman.
Marilyn gardened growing rows of rows of vegetables; canning them too. She turned a sandhill into a little oasis at their home outside of Haigler. She sewed making clothes and beautiful quilts.
As mentioned above Marilyn and Dick were married 45 years creating a beautiful home. She LOVED her kids and ADORED her two grandkids, Carson Nappi, and Austin Hume spending time with the boys reading books, playing at the river, gardening and making pudding dirt cups.
Marilyn was surrounded by friends and taught many students in the Dundy County area. She is proceeded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Helen Youngman. She is survived by her husband, Dick Bannister, children Loc (Richard) Bannister and his wife Tammy, Kate Hume, her husband Scot and son Austin, Rob Bannister, wife Carlie and son Carson, siblings Margaret LeBlond and husband Dan, Ray Youngman and wife Sylvia, Lydia Youngman, and Steve Youngman and wife Denise, aunts and uncles and a large number of cousins, nephews and a niece.
Marilyn passed away October 26, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. A Visitation was held on Monday, October 31, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Schmidt-Jones Funeral, 427 Adams Street, Wray, Colorado 80758. Funeral Service were held at the Haigler United Methodist Church in Haigler, Nebraska, Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. with Pastor Gary Fisher officiating. Interment was held in the Haigler Cemetery in Haigler, Nebraska.
Memorials can be made to the Haigler Methodist Church at 361 S King Ave, Haigler NE 69030 or to the Dundy County Library at 701 Chief St, Benkelman NE 69021.
Schmidt-Jones Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.