Marjorie Joan DeBoer, 82, died Feb. 8. She was the only child of Frank and Cora Mae Rockwell. She moved to Brookings, S.D., when she was 5, graduating from high school there in 1949. She attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, where she met Wendell DeBoer. They were married in 1951. They moved to St. Paul in 1955 so that Wendell could attend graduate school. One of her passions was music, especially the piano works of Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. She was an accomplished pianist and frequently performed, starting at age 5 until her death. She played violin and harp in high school and college. She also taught piano and voice for 10 years before getting too busy with her growing family. She was a member of St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ for 60 years, singing in the church choir for more than 50 of them. She served on numerous committees. As her children grew up, she had more time to develop her passion for writing and published six historical romance novels. She was active in several writing and music organizations in the Twin Cities throughout her life. She also enjoyed traveling, including trips to several countries in Latin America and Europe, often to visit family. She is survived by her husband, Wendell; five children, Steve (Gail), Dave (Elisa), Sharon (Leonard) Duban, Wendy and Bob (Katie); 10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a brother and two sisters-in-law, Bill (Caroline) Pilgram and Betty Rockwell. A memorial service will be held on March 8 at 2 p.m. at St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ. Memorials may be made to St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ to support the music program.
