Marjorie May Binkley.... Age 97

Mrs. Binkley will be laid to rest Wednesday, June 24, at 10 am at Osawatomie Cemetery. Services will be held graveside.

*Masks will be provided and social distancing will be encouraged so all can participate as they are comfortable. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs to aid comfort.

In light of Marjorie’s contributions as “Mrs. Claus,” memorials may be made to Cops for Tots - Christmas Project in care of Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home P.O. Box 430 Osawatomie, KS 66064.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marjorie Binkley, 97, Osawatomie, died Thursday, June 18, 2020, at Vintage Park Assisted Living in Osawatomie, Kansas.

Marjorie was born April 22, 1923, in Hamilton Township to parents Jean and Ida Lue Schaub. The youngest of three, she attended the local country school until she moved to Ottawa to live with her older sister’s family to attend Ottawa High School. She graduated in the spring of 1941.

On February 7, 1943, Marjorie married her long-time sweetheart, Bert Binkley Jr., in Ottawa, Kansas, surrounded by friends and loved ones. Days later, Bert would receive a draft notice, and the pair would move to Louisiana where Bert was stationed at Fort Polk. When her husband was transferred overseas, Marjorie moved back to Ottawa where she continued to live with family and work.

In March of 1946, Bert was honorably discharged from the United States Army, and the young couple moved to Osawatomie, Kansas. While her husband continued his career with the Missouri Pacific Railroad, Marjorie began her long and storied employment with the JCPenney department store in downtown Osawatomie as a cashier (bookkeeper) - a job she would hold for 29 years, outlasting seven different managers. The only gap in her employment came in the spring of 1954 when daughter Connie was born. After retiring from JCPenney in 1975, Marge would continue working for several years, assisting in two Osawatomie doctors’ offices.

In retirement, Marjorie enjoyed time spent with her close-knit family, traveling, and caring for loved ones. Alongside her husband - “Santa” - she delighted a generation of Osawatomie children as the town’s resident “Mrs. Claus” and later served on the Council of Aging for Miami County. Marjorie was a member of the Osawatomie United Methodist Church.

Survivors include Mrs. Binkley’s daughter, Connie Viebrock (David), of Overland Park; two grandchildren, Lisa Janeway (Justin) and Andy Viebrock (Kayla); four great-grandchildren, Jackson, Noah, Austin, and Brooks; and nieces, a nephew, cousins, and friends.