Marion L. Soden

MARION LENORE SODEN Marion Lenore Soden of Chico passed away peacefully at Roses & Ivy on Saturday, April 16th attended by her son Victor and daughter-in-law Jo Ann. Marion was born in Columbia, CA in 1919. She lived in Livermore and Woodland before her family moved to Trinity County when she was in 2nd grade as her father was a gold miner. She attended school in Trinity, where her teacher would pick up the 20 students to attend her one-room school. Growing up in Trinity meant no movies, no TV, no stores, no good radio reception. She walked a mile to swim in a dredge pond or the Trinity River, which held snow runoff in June. Marion graduated from Shasta Union High in Redding and then attended the University of California at Berkeley for 3 years. She quit college in 1939 when she married Curtis Soden. After Pearl Harbor, mining supplies were impossible to get so Marion's family moved to the Bay Area to join in the war effort. Her father worked in Kaiser Shipyard in Sausalito, her brother worked in the munitions factory in Benicia, and her husband installed electrical wiring in submarines. Her husband Curt joined the Navy and received a 3-year course in 3 months training and went to a repair ship in Lae, New Guinea, while Marion went to work for US Pipe & Bending Company in San Francisco. After WWII, Curt and Marion moved to Chico where he went to work for PG&E, while Marion worked as a librarian at Chico Junior High. They had a family cabin in Butte Meadows, enjoyed camping and family outings. Marion survived her husband's passing in 1994 and stayed active in Bidwell Presbyterian Church. She remained in her home on Arbutus Avenue until 2011, when her health deteriorated and required a move to independent living and then into assisted living. She is survived by 2 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at Brusie Funeral Home at 11am on April 27th with internment following at Glen Oaks. In lieu of flowers, Marion wished that donations be made to the Bidwell Presbyterian Church. Condolences may be made to www.brusiefh.com.