Marjorie McManus was born on April 30, 1925 in Fort Worth, TX, 30 minutes before her twin sister Mary Louise. She was the third child of Charles and Mary Josephine (Monnot) McManus. Her older sister, Marguerite was 6 years older and her only brother, Charles, was 3 years older. A younger sister, Barbara, was born 8 years later.

Due to the Depression during those days, her family had to sell their home and move to a rental house. They would move 4 times in the next 11 years to go wherever her father could find work. The family moved to Washington State in 1937 to take care of her maternal grandmother and her step-grandfather who lived on a small farm. On the trip there, her father decided to take time to stop at interesting and educational places along the way.

“Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, spending a night in a cabin on the ocean beach at Oxnard, California, seeing Hollywood Blvd., Beverly Hills, Golden Gate Bridge and the rugged Oregon coast were wonderful experiences for a 12 yr old who had never been away from home before,” Marjorie would recall.

“After living in the city with a very small yard to play in, a five acre farm with animals, various kinds of fruit trees and a garden was like heaven for awhile.” Getting acquainted with yet another school and new schoolmates had still another problem. “Our northern friends were really amused by our southern drawl!”

She graduated from Renton High School in 1944 and worked at Boeing Aircraft Co. until the end of the war. She then attended the University of Washington studying pharmacy. Going to college, working part-time and commuting 16 miles to and from the campus each day took its toll and after 2 years, Marjorie left college to work full time at Puget Sound Title Insurance Company in the accounting department.

Vacations during those years include a train trip to Mexico, a car trip down the California coast and two boat trips to Alaska. Photography became a hobby while on those trips. Other hobbies included baking cakes, pastries, etc., needlepoint and reading.

Marjorie was contemplating a trip to Europe but God’s call to follow Him more closely was becoming more urgent and she began to look at various religious orders. (The trip to Europe would take place in 1992 when her sister took her).

One day she picked up a booklet in the vestibule of the church which was published by the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, MO. On the back cover was a list of other booklets one of which was a Devotion to the Little Infant of Prague. She ordered one for her sister Barbara who was a devotee. With it came a letter introducing Marjorie to the Association of PerpetualAdoration. She enrolled herself and each member of the family. With each enrollment came a letter which seemed to come straight from God.

“I was invited to visit Clyde, which I did in Sept. 1950. When I left I knew I would be returning but it took 2 more years to finally make the break. After considering the Carmelites, Poor Clares and the Trappistines, I felt a real desire to enter at Clyde because it seemed the perfect blend of community and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

She entered on August 10, 1952 and made First Profession on Feb 11, 1954. After Final vows in 1959, Marjorie was stationed briefly in Tucson and San Diego where she worked at various jobs: altar bread dept., kitchen and sacristan. She was transferred back to Clyde in 1960 where she would spend the next 16 years working in the printery. “I saw the old presses, the Linotype machine and the big folder go to make way for offset printing. Each phase of the printing process became familiar to me as I worked with each machine and process.”

“I am very grateful to have been a part of the Benedictine Publications Center because through our ministry of the printed word all those years ago, I became acquainted with our Congregation and I firmly believe we have a great ministry to help other people find the deep peace that comes with learning about God’s great love for each of us.”

She then went to San Diego until it closed in 1992 and spent the remaining years of her religious life at Tucson where she worked as the librarian. Marjorie also made cards of her Beautiful nature photographs and sold them  in the gift shop. She was noted for her brandy fruitcakes, pecan pies, and triple chocolate cakes over the years.

In August of 2010 she experienced severe back pain and was then diagnosed with advanced bone cancer. Marjorie opted for no further treatment and she was placed in the Holy Family Hospice Center to help control her pain. She was then moved to Emmanuel Adult Care Home.

On September 10th our sisters began keeping vigil with her as it appeared her death was imminent. She went home to God at 11:28 pm with Sr. Mary Jane Romero and community friend Ruby Rojo praying the rosary at her bedside. 

The Funeral Mass was celebrated on September 15,  in Tucson. The celebrant was Fr. Bill Stoeger, SJ. Marjorie was interred at Mt. Calvary Cemetery at the motherhouse in Clyde, MO.