Lemon Grove Pioneer Descendant Dead at 91

 Marjorie Nation, a strikingly beautiful Lemon Grove native and descendant of German and British immigrants to San Diego and Lemon Grove, died suddenly of an aneurysm on April 18, 2014.  She was 91.  Services were private.

     When Marjorie was born to Earl and Lillian Jenner on Apr. 5, 1923, the family resided on Vista Street next door to her maternal grandparents, Henrietta Reick and “Grandpa Hann” (a death and remarriage account for the difference in names).   Both houses live on.  In 1923 Lemon Grove had but 1,500 families and as many horses, and the iconic “Big Lemon” was yet to materialize in 1928.

     Marjorie was the middle child of three:  The eldest, the aptly named Belle, was often photographed sitting on The Big Lemon.  The youngest, handsome Bud, died untimely of hemophilia in the days when there was no treatment for the disease and transfusions often involved a tainted blood supply.

     For her first eight years of school, Marjorie attended the Lemon Grove Grammar School built in 1924 on the corner of Lincoln and School Lane and today the site of the Lemon Grove Library.  In the eighth grade class of 1937, Marjorie was among 28 graduates to move on to Grossmont High School -- youngsters with names like Ahrensburg, Bonilla, Kimura, Eckler, Castellanos Smith, Dunton, Meza, Pratt, Lucas and others whose forebears had built the town.

     The Jenners were devoted Christians.  Many of Marjorie’s school friends attended social events and Sunday School with her in the First Congregational Church built in 1913 on Main Street.  Today, the site is Civic Center Park and the original church, built in 1897, is the Parsonage Museum of Lemon Grove.

     Marjorie’s thumbnail biography in the 1937 yearbook (“The Station”) noted that she was a Campfire Girl, Glee Club singer and secretary of the Civic League, liked dancing and stamp collecting, and desired to become a “beauty operator.”  World War II would change that.  When she graduated from Grossmont High School in June 1941, the conflict was underway in Europe and Pearl Harbor was on the horizon.

     Marjorie spent nine months in secretarial training at the Business College of Commerce in San Diego, then got a job at Camp Callan, the artillery training center established in 1941 in La Jolla.  After serving as secretary to a captain on the base populated by 6,000 recruits, she was transferred to Lindbergh Field, where seven airplane hangars received war materiel, all of which Marjorie itemized on long, typed lists.

     While at Lindbergh Field, Marjorie met handsome Lester Nation, an Army Air Force soldier who unloaded the planes.  Despite her characteristic bashfulness and retiring nature, she fell in love with Lester and they were married Nov. 25, 1944 in the First Congregational Church.  The nuptials were preceded by wedding showers attended by a who’s who of Lemon Grove pioneers.  

      The Nations set up housekeeping at 7240 Mt. Vernon Street and raised four children.  The pretty bungalow remains in the family.

     Marjorie’s world revolved around her family, which expanded when Lester brought his parents to live in a cottage next door.  Her children, Eddie, Tommy, Shirley and Debbie, grew up and produced six children who, in turn, produced 10 great grandchildren.  Beauty continued to run in the family as a plethora of snapshots indicate.  When Lester died in 1988 Marjorie redoubled her efforts on behalf of her family, church and friends of years.  

     Many recall--and have saved--the imaginative cards Marjorie mailed on virtually any pretext.  Those, and her giving nature, made her the “rock of our family,” as her daughters Shirley and Debra wrote.  “She was the most loving mom, grandma and friend you could ever ask for.  She never had a bad word to say about anyone.  She always looked at the good in a person.  She always put others ahead of herself.  She never complained about anything.  She inspired us all and love will see us through this hard time.”

     This old-fashioned girl grew up in a small town amid earth-shaking events and saw her town evolve into a bustling city.  But Marjorie Jenner Nation hung on to her roots.  She is survived by her sister Belle, children Eddie, Tommy, Shirley and Debra, and all those grands and greats.  

      Oh, Margie of the famous cheekbones and winning smile...