Marsha Marie Sanders (Plainview)

Dearest Lord, thank you for bringing us wholeness, and sometimes physical healing. Thank you for your faithful angels who witness to the possibilities of joy in life’s most difficult times.

Marsha Marie Sanders passed from this life at home, peacefully in her sleep March 4, 2025. Just shy of her 87th birthday. A celebration of her life will be held in the chapel at Plainview Methodist Church in Plainview, Texas April 8th at 10:30 a.m.

Marsha was born in Plainview, Texas to parents Varlis George and Bessie Walls. She grew up in Littleton, Colorado and Marysville, Kansas before moving back to Plainview the summer before her junior year. After graduating from Plainview High and Lipperts Business School she worked for Judge Lewis at the Hale County Court House then for Robert Hinn at Harvest Queen Mill.

She married her sweetheart, Ray W. Sanders on May 7th, 1960. They stayed madly in love their whole 55 years together. Marsha remembers the night before Ray passed away in the hospital, he asked if she would like to lay down beside him, that they could fall asleep together. That was December 2016. And every day that followed after was spent wondering how to put back together all the broken pieces of her heart.

Marsha was extremely dedicated and proud to be a stay at home mom. The girls could spend hours sharing back and forth their favorite things she had sewed for them or meals that were favorite’s or all the things Marsha taught them through the years. One of their memories was getting to pick a birthday cake from this tiny little cake cookbook that was old and torn from little hands thumbing through the pages over and over. Whichever one they chose, no matter the level of difficulty or how long it would take her in the kitchen to make it, if they chose it, that one was the one they’d find sitting on the kitchen table for their special day. And the girls knew they were always made with much love.

When she wasn’t helping Ray changed water at the farm she taught herself to sew. And spent every summer sewing beautiful dresses and short sets. A week or so before school started the girls would lay all the clothes on their beds and begin the difficult task of choosing the perfect “first day of school” outfit. They loved it!Marsha would get right back to her sewing room and start working on their Halloween costumes. The girls couldn’t wait for the Halloween Carnival at school. Winning their class costume contest most every year. The girls loved it! After taking down Halloween decorations and boxing up the costumes she started on the Christmas gifts for their teachers and school friends. Sometimes Marsha would surprise the girls when they got home after school and have a dozen or so Barbie doll outfits laying on the kitchen table. Using leftover scraps of material, colorful sequins and anything else she could find that would make them fabulously fashionable and over the top!

In the 70’s Ray and Marsha purchased a train caboose. They hauled it to Lake Theo, gutted it and redid the inside. When they finished that job they built a big screened in porch off the side of the caboose. It was a perfect little lake house for the family and they loved going as often as they could.

She and Ray always enjoyed driving to Lubbock for date nights. It was before I-27 was there. And often driving home on the old highway they would pull over in a parking lot somewhere, turn the radio up as loud as it would go, get out and dance under the stars.

Marsha always cooked for her family but in the early 1980’s she really started taking it seriously. Family and friends considered her no less than a gourmet chef. This became a BIG deal at the Sanders house. Marsha and Ray enjoyed having friends over for dinner as often as they could making lots of great memories through the years. Ray was so proud of her. Getting an invite to the Sanders meant you were in for something very special. She took meals to church friends that had become shut-ins. Always taking something to the Sunday school class they could enjoy with their coffee. Even took meals to neighbors down the street. Choosing a cake when your birthday came around quickly turned into the birthday meal of your choice. Also Included of course, a favorite cake.

Golf also became a big part of Marsha’s life over the years. Playing with a group of ladies who became fiercely loyal to one another. You always knew where to find her on Saturdays and Sundays after church. And a couple mornings during the week if the weather was nice. Excelling in everything she tried. Golf was no exception. She was a member of the Plainview Country Club Women’s Golf Association and South Plains Women’s Golf Association. South Plains voting her their golfer of the year in 2004. Her group traveled many places to play in tournaments. The ladies, always anxious to pick up Marsha knowing she would be ready, waiting and packing a lunch! They would take off for the tournament being on the road sometimes less than an hour before one of them would start in trying to convince Marsha they had better start looking for a place to pull over and have their lunch. Knowing she had lovingly prepared her famous chicken salad on croissants, fresh fruit in season and the best you ever put in your mouth, old fashion oatmeal cookies.

Ray and Marsha also loved traveling and playing golf together and they played some beautiful courses. Two of their favorites were Pebble Beach and the course at St. Andrews?

Marsha had a strong faith in God and was a life long member of Plainview Methodist Church. She served as secretary for the Disciples Sunday School class and volunteered Monday mornings in the church office for many years. She was a member of the John Wesley Women’s Bible group and also worked with the Church’s Outreach Committee. Completing the requirements of the continuing education course for Hospice of the Plains allowed her to volunteer for that incredible organization.

Finally, her regrets were not spending more time with her precious grandsons and her extra precious great grandson. Who all loved their “Mom Mom” greatly and completely.

Her family and friends will miss her terribly. And last but most certainly not least, the “little black boy” her Scottie, McGreggar. Who is still wondering where in the world “his Sanders” could be.

Those left to cherish her memory are daughters, Kendra Pollreisz of Big Sky, Montana and Laurie L. Shaw of Plainview, Texas; grandsons, Evan Ray Pollreisz of Lexington, Kentucky; C. Aaron Shaw of Lubbock, Texas; and Jacob (Jake) Hartin of Austin, Texas; a great grandson, Kingston Shaw of Lubbock, Texas and McGreggar, the little black Scottie.

Deep within the center of the soul is a chamber of peace where God lives and where, if we will enter it and quiet all other sounds, we can hear "His gentle whisper."

In lieu of flowers please consider sending a memorial to The Disciples Sunday School Class c/o Plainview Methodist Church 1001 7th Street, Plainview, Texas 79072