Marjorie Brown was born December 2, 1922, in Kokomo, Indiana, to Sydney F. Brown and Carol Metcalf Brown. Her Quaker roots dated back to the 17th century. One branch emigrated from Massachusetts to Virginia and then to "Indian Territory" now called Indiana. They settled in New London, a predominantly Quaker community.
Margie's fifth great-grandparents were Phoebe Goochee, a Cherokee, and Hardy Crews, an Irishman, married in 1740. In the next century, ancestors participated in the Underground Railroad. Margie's grandmother was active in the local Friends Church. She married a Friends pastor named Albert Brown, who was called by Herbert Hoover after World War I to help administer the American Friends Service Committee's feeding program in Dresden, Germany.
Margie's father, Sydney F. Brown, also Quaker, married a Methodist, Carol Metcalf. Carol became a Friend by convincement thus avoiding the scandal of Sydney's marrying outside the meeting. Margie was the eldest of three daughters.
Margie earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Earlham College, where she met J. Marcus Hadley, also from a long line of Quakers. In fact, they were distant cousins.
Margie and Mark were married by his father at the home of Margie's family on June 1, 1945. It was an unusual wedding. Margie, who had been working in a pharmaceutical laboratory with malfunctioning safety equipment, was confined to bed with a serious rash. Mark, doing alternative service in the Civilian Public Service, had only a short leave. Margie got out of bed, was married in her negligee, and returned to bed.
After the war, Margie and Mark settled in Whittier, California, where they built their first home and raised three children: Carle, Jan and Neal. The family attended First Friends Church. They also joined unprogrammed worship in what became the Whitleaf Friends Worship Group. Their son Carle recalls that Margie and Mark never raised their voices and always used gentle persuasion to encourage their children to attend meeting. When the children did something wrong, their parents reacted with disappointment.
The family enjoyed frequent activities, travels and adventures together. For example, they helped build several buildings at the Sierra Friends Center. They hosted many international students over the years. One memory was camping at Death Valley over Christmas and using tumbleweed as a Christmas tree.
After the children were grown, Margie helped Mark in the real estate business in Southern California.
In 2000, Margie and Mark moved to Sacramento. They became active in the Sacramento Friends Meeting and transferred their membership from the Whitleaf Monthly Meeting in April 2001. That summer--a very hot summer--they came every weekend to paint the new meetinghouse. Margie served for years on the Building and Grounds Committee; if you arrived early on Sundays, you would find her tending the flowers. She always looked for many ways to be useful. More than one Meeting Friend will remember Margie and Mark's thoughtful and energetic assistance in time of need.
In 2012 Margie and Mark moved to Oregon and later to Montana. Mark died in the 75th year of their marriage. Margie moved to the state of Washington where she continued to make new friends. Margie died on March 14, 2023, three months after her 100th birthday celebration.
Margie truly liked people and took a lively interest in life, welcoming friends' visits and thriving on conversation. She possessed an unusual combination: she fully recognized the seriousness of others' needs while her own innate cheerfulness radiated from within.