Marilyn Faye Stone

Marilyn Faye Blankenship was born on December 16, 1931 (her mother’s birthday) in the small town of Florence, Colorado to Erma and Marion Blankenship. Six weeks following her birth, her father died tragically in a gun accident and her mother went to work to support the three children she was raising on her own. Times were extremely tough during the Great Depression, and Marilyn and her siblings were not afforded items such as new clothing, toys, or opportunities that other children had. Marilyn was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetic bone disease that caused her many broken bones throughout her lifetime. Even with this affliction, it never stopped her or affected her ambition or determination.

Marilyn’s mother later remarried and the family moved to Portland during World War II. She attended Glencoe Elementary in Portland where she met some of her many lifelong friends. While attending high school, Marilyn worked as at the Portland Ice Cream Company on Southeast Hawthorne near the family home on 47th Avenue. She graduated from Franklin High School in 1951 and began her career with the Bell System that year.

Her time with the phone company started with the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, where she began working as an operator. She had many tales to tell of her days on the “cord board” where she worked the long distance and directory assistance calls. Marilyn would often share the story of a call that came through from Portland native Jane Powell, a famous Hollywood starlet at the time. Once word got around the office that Miss Powell was on the line, other operators plugged in to listen to her conversation and the connection became so faint, that the call ultimately disconnected due to an overload on the line.

Marilyn was later promoted to a position in the Accounting Department. By then, the name of the company changed to Pacific Northwest Bell and she also had given birth to her first child, Becky. As a single mother at that time, she was determined to provide for her daughter. Several years later, she later met and dated Dave Stone of Woodland, Washington. They married on April 1, 1960 and settled in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood so familiar to Marilyn. Two other children followed shortly, and the family then included little David and Keri. The Stones outgrew their tiny home and moved into the house that would become the family haven on Southeast 54th, between Hawthorne and Lincoln. Marilyn would remain there for nearly fifty years.

Although her marriage to Dave ended in 1969, Marilyn continued to work and provide for her three children. She successfully managed to keep the house while meeting the needs of her growing kids. Though finances were limited, she was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, a trait learned from her mother. Raising three children during the 1960s and 1970s was no easy task. Many single mothers would have turned to welfare or other means of financial support, but Marilyn remained determined to be independent and proved to be financially successful in her career as well.

She eventually became an Analysis Clerk at the phone company, one of the highest paying non-management jobs available. She continued to work for “Ma Bell” even after divestiture, when the company became U.S. West. Marilyn retired from the phone company after more than forty-two years of service. She later went on to work part-time as an administrative assistant for The Dunham Group, Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, Montavilla United Methodist Church, and Data Bridge Northwest.

Marilyn was an active member of the Montavilla United Methodist Church for more than thirty years and served on many various committees. She sang in the church choir as well and had a true love of all types of music. In 2004, she received a special award for her work with the United Methodist Women and was honored again by that group in 2007. An unassuming woman, Marilyn lived in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood for nearly seven decades. She was admired and well-known by local businesses and eateries in the area and loved to shop, cook for her family, play cards, take care of her grandchildren, and spend time with her many lifelong friends from school.

Marilyn Stone passed away peacefully on July 29, 2007 in the Rocky Mountains she loved so well while attending a family reunion in Colorado. Her passing leaves a great void in the lives of those who knew and loved her, but her legacy and soul live on in all of us through her hard work, compassion, courage, strength, and in the way she lived and conducted her life. She is greatly missed by everyone who knew her, but we are all better people for having her in our lives. 

Written by her family