A memorial service for Marla Gail (Long) Deines will be 11 a.m. Saturday, February 15, 2020, at Presbyterian Church of WaKeeney, 332 N. Sixth, WaKeeney. Casual attire is appropriate.
Marla was born on April 29, 1955 to James and Margaret (Schneider) Long in WaKeeney, Kansas.
She attended WaKeeney public schools and was a 1973 graduate of Trego Community High School. As an alumna of Fort Hays State University, Marla received Bachelor’s Degrees in German, Spanish, and Psychology, and a Master’s Degree in ESL. She also studied abroad in Germany and Costa Rica, and taught ESL in China.
Marla married Stanley H. Deines on November 17, 1973 in WaKeeney, Kansas. Together they had three sons: Joshua James, Lucas Herman, and Eastin Stanley. Eastin Stanley preceded Marla in death.
Early married life consisted of many long days of work on the farm, as Marla could work cattle and drive combine with the best of them. Marla and Stan traveled many places across the United States to support their sons in their various sports activities. Those long road trips were filled with songs, laughter and pizza. To save a few bucks, they stayed in budget motels. The money saved was quickly spent on Lysol. The best times were family times.
Marla taught school for 30 years in the Ellis and Hays, Kansas public schools. While teaching, she received an Associate Degree in Parish Ministry and served as a minister at Prairie Faith Shared Ministry in Trego and Ellis Counties, Faith Lutheran in Osborne, and First Presbyterian in WaKeeney.
In 2015, Marla and Stan moved to Redondo Beach, California to retire and live near family, especially their beautiful grandchildren, Kai Eastin and Jamie Margaret. With boundless energy in retirement, Marla channeled her love for education and children as an instructional aide at Jefferson Elementary School and volunteered with Beach Cities Health District and Trinity Lutheran Church.
After her battle with metastatic breast cancer, Marla passed away peacefully at home on Monday, November 4, 2019. She is survived by her husband, Stanley; son Joshua and his wife, Belinda; son Lucas and his wife, Michelle; and two grandchildren, Kai and Jamie.
She loved being a teacher and a minister, a wife and a mother, but most of all, a grandmother. Marla, also known as “Gramms,” will be missed.