Louise Colburn

Former teacher and Marion resident Louise “Terrie” Colburn, 90, passed away May 2 at Addington Place of Alpharetta, Georgia.

She was born Sept. 10, 1927, to Orville and Elsie (Blue) Bennett in Nevada, Missouri. As a young girl, she went to live with her aunt and uncle, Lorraine and LaVern Hadsell of Clay Center, Kansas, who later adopted her.

She attended Clay Center schools through eighth grade, then attended high school at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas, graduating in 1945. The Hadsells had moved to Sterling, Kansas, so she went to Sterling College, earning enough credits to obtain a teaching certificate. She later attended Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia.

Terrie taught at schools in Sterling and Eudora, Kansas, and was an elementary school teacher in Marion schools for five years.

Through mutual friends, she met Marion High School graduate Edward Colburn while he was attending the University of Kansas. They married June 16, 1951, at Marion Presbyterian Church, and made their home in Marion, where Ed was an attorney and probate judge.

They adopted a son, David, in 1957, and their daughter Lynn was born in 1958. After moving to Goleta, California, where Ed worked as a corporate real estate attorney, their daughter Carol was born in 1959.

The Colburns moved to Inglewood, California, then Torrance, California, before returning to Marion in 1965. A year later, the family moved into the Elm St. home where Terrie would live until moving to Alpharetta, Georgia, in 2013 to live with her daughter Carol.

Terrie was a member of Marion Presbyterian Church since 1949. Over the years, she taught Sunday school and Vacation Bible School and served on numerous committees. She took special enjoyment in preparing food and drinks for fellowship time after services. She also was a member of VFW Auxiliary, St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary, P.E.O., and other social groups.

She was known for her love of cooking and entertaining. No event was too small or too large for her to lend her culinary talents to. She had more than 800 cookbooks, and collected hundreds of restaurant menus, always in search of new ideas. She became well known for her extravagant Halloween buffet, and dozens of families made returning to the Colburn home after trick-or-treating for more food and camaraderie part of their annual Halloween rituals.

Her parents and husband preceded her in death.

She is survived by son David of Marion; daughters Lynn Diodati of Temecula, California, and Carol Hicks and husband, Dave, of Alpharetta, Georgia; grandchildren Jennifer Logan and husband, Justin, of Derby, Kansas; Christopher Hicks and wife, Lauren, of Atlanta, Georgia; Kiersten Colburn of St. Charles, Missouri; Katherine and Lauren Diodati, both of Temecula, California; and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 19, at Marion Presbyterian Church, with a light reception following in the church fellowship hall. Cremation has taken place, and a private family service will take place later in the day at Marion Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Marion Presbyterian Church or St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary.