Marilyn A. VanPelt

1926 - 2015

On March 25, 2015, Marilyn Van Pelt passed away peacefully at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Miss., at the age of 88, with her son by her side. Born in Rock Island, Ill., she moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1947, from Elko, Nev. On Aug. 31, 1952, in Seward, Alaska, she married James Van Pelt, in the presence of her 5-year-old daughter, Kana Belehrad, and a gathering of family and friends. They welcomed a son, Ronald, in July 1953, and shortly thereafter Jim adopted Kana as his daughter. Married 59 years, they resided in Seward, Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska, before retiring in 1984, to travel in their motor home, eventually purchasing a house on acreage with pecan trees and garden in State Line, Miss. Marilyn enjoyed knitting, crocheting, reading, baking, canning and cooking. She was the family archivist with a mind that, to the end, was a repository of dates, names, places and family history down to the minutest detail. She took great joy in her grandchildren and then in her great-grandchildren. In her last few months, Marilyn was given the wonderful gift of a new great-granddaughter, who enchanted her on video clips with coos and smiles. When macular degeneration began eclipsing her vision, Marilyn discovered that, while she could no longer read a book, she could read a Kindle and that opened up a world she thought had been lost to her. When she wasn't watching baseball (the Braves) or basketball (Duke), she was reading the classics, romance novels or books recommended by friends. As physical challenges increased, she always had the unwavering help and support of her son, Ron, who relocated to Mississippi, in 1999, to act as caregiver. Marilyn was predeceased by son, Kent Belehrad; and husband, James Van Pelt, who passed away on May 28, 2012, at the age of 86. She is survived by daughter, Kana Grant (George) of Reno, Nev.; and son, Ronald Van Pelt of State Line, Miss.; grandson, James (Christine) Erickson of Spokane, Wash.; and granddaughter, Melissa (Joseph) Hampton of Richland, Wash.; great-grandchildren, Grant and Avery Erickson and two-month-old Madeline Hampton; as well as many other family members and friends. As much as she will be missed, we are grateful that she is at peace, without pain and free from worldly cares.