Marvel A. Brown Dickerson

Mrs. Marvel A. Brown Dickerson, 69, of Blytheville, passed from this life Friday, Jan. 4, 2013, at Baptist Hospital in Memphis. Born to Marion and Paulina Farris Brown in St. Louis, she was a retired teacher and a member of the First Baptist Church.

Marvel's father worked as a maintenance electrician at Wagner Electric until 1955 when he had a desire to go into farming and moved back to the family dairy farm in Shelbina, Mo. Marvel and her brother John Brown attended the local public school where her mother worked as a secretary. Her father farmed from sunup to sundown tending the dairy herd and field crops. In the early 1960s her father transitioned to hog farming and moved away from dairying. Marvel graduated high school in 1961 and she attended the University of Missouri at Columbia where she graduated with a double major in English and Spanish in 1965. After her graduation Marvel taught school prior to joining the Peace Corps in 1967 and served in Medellin, Columbia, for two years before moving to Madrid, Spain. While working as an English translator, she met Bruce Dickerson who was on assignment with the United States Air Force in Toledo, Spain.

Marvel and Bruce were married in Marvel's hometown church in Shelbina, Mo., and traveled by Bruce's side as they were transferred to stateside and overseas bases until Bruce retired in 1990 from Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville after 26 years of honorable service.

Marvel taught both English and Spanish in the local schools after receiving her Masters Degree in Library Sciences. Marvel continued her love for education and students until her retirement and after retiring, worked at a local bookstore. Marvel participated in women's clubs, Northeast Arkansas and state reading councils and was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma where she faithfully served in various positions.

She served at First Baptist Church as Local WMU Director, on the Baptist State WMU executive board and was an avid supporter of church mission programs. She also served many years as an Adult Women's Sunday School Teacher.

Marvel was preceded in death by her parents, Marion and Paulina; and her only brother, John Brown.

Marvel is survived by her husband, Bruce Dickerson of the home;

Two sons, Michael and his wife, Kristin of Memphis, Jonathan Dickerson of Jacksonville, Fla.,

Her grandchildren, Kristopher, Grace and Claire, all of Memphis; and

Several cousins, aunts and uncles in and around Shelbina.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, in the First Baptist Church Sanctuary in Blytheville. The family will receive friends at Cobb Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday. Burial will take place later in the week at Shelbina, Cemetery in Shelbina.

Services will be conducted also at Greening Egan Funeral Home in Shelbina with the times to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to the following charities: The First Baptist Church Library, 715 West Walnut Street, Blytheville, AR 72315, the Dolly Parton Imagination Station, c/o the Blytheville Chamber of Commerce, 300 West Walnut Street, Blytheville, AR 72315 or the American Cancer Society at 800-227-2345. Condolences may be expressed to the family at the Cobb Funeral Home web site, www.cobbfuneralhome.com