Marian Christine Myer

Marian Gayle Myer, 90, of Hickory passed away on Monday, February 10, 2025. She was born Monday, April 16th, 1934, in Reedsville, PA, to William Gail and Zelphia Mae (Stringer) Christine. Marian was preceded in death by her sister Evelyn Waugh and her husband John H.Myer. She is survived by her two sons, John (Susan) and Philip (Lynne), seven grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. 

She was a tough, no-nonsense person who didn’t suffer foolishness, frivolity, or excess, but also a caring friend, doting mother and grandmother, and natural caregiver who showed up for her friends, family, and church community. She looked out for her friends and neighbors, and showed warmth and hospitality to friends and family whenever they came to visit.

Marian worked as a nurse after attending the Lewistown (Pa) Hospital School of Nursing, where she was awarded the ‘Best student nurse in the surgical unit’ class of 1958, according to her roommate and lifelong friend Edna Shelton. After nursing school, she began her career at the Pennsylvania State Hospital for crippled children while attending classes at the nearby Elizabethtown College. 

It was at this hospital where she met her soon to be husband, John, a patient who was receiving treatment for polio he contracted as a preteen. Marian continued her work as a nurse in a variety of hospitals and healthcare facilities while raising a family and caring for elderly parents. She maintained a deep knowledge of medicine and caregiving, and continued to use her vocation while caring for her husband in his final years.

Marian loved music. She excelled at piano, and actively participated in music ministry at different churches throughout her life. She taught several of her grandchildren to play, and found time to take up the dulcimer and the ocarina later in life. She enjoyed going to folk festivals and shops like Unique World Gifts that promoted traditional instruments and musical style from around the world. 

Marian was beloved by her friends and family as a wise, generous, and steady presence in our lives. We mourn her loss, but are grateful for the time we shared with her. We will cherish her memory, and look forward with hope to a future reunion when death is no more. 

The funeral service will be 1:00 pm Friday, February 21, 2025 at Jenkins Funeral Home, 4081 Startown Road, Newton, NC 28658. Burial will follow at Wood Lawn Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends from 12:00pm-1:00pm, Friday, February 21, 2025 at Jenkins Funeral Home Celebration Center. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shepherd's Hand Ministry, P.O. Box 14, Hickory, NC 28603. https://www.shepherdshandministry.org/give 

Please sign the online guestbook on the Memorial Wall at www.jenkinsfuneralhome.net. The Myer family has entrusted arrangements to Jenkins Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Newton 828-464-1555.