Marlene was born July 20, 1943, in Shasta, California, to Carl and Vesta Flemmer (nee Fuhrmann). Carl was an ironworker who worked on dams and bridges. They lived near Shasta, Pine Flat, Glen Canyon and Folsom Dams, requiring the family to move frequently. Luckily, Micki learned to make friends fast, a trait that would continue throughout her life. During high school, the family lived in Page, Arizona, where Micki made many wonderful friends and was voted homecoming queen her senior year. She started college at Valparaiso University and eventually transferred to University of California Davis to obtain her master’s degree in education. Marlene joined the Peace Corps, serving in rural Turkey as a schoolteacher. She traveled extensively around Europe, learned to skydive, married and had her son Micah.
Marlene and family moved to Delaware, where Micki started teaching at Margaret S. Sterka School for the Hearing Impaired. This began a lifetime love of working with handicapped and underprivileged children. Following her divorce, Micki and her son moved back west to Arizona, where she joined Phoenix Day School for the Deaf as its principal. Micki was known for taking in children who were homeless, poor or were with abusive families. She loved making a difference.
Micki left Phoenix to join Vision Quest, a wilderness program for adjudicated youth operating an 1850s-style wagon train that ran back and forth across the southern U.S. As principal, she maintained and drove her own covered wagon. She was successful in getting Vision Quest accredited so the participants could earn their high school diplomas. Eventually, Micki moved to St. Marie, Montana, to be near family and worked as the principal of the Frazer Elementary School on a Native American reservation. After retiring, she spent winters with her son and daughter-in-law in Ogden, Utah, eventually choosing to move there permanently.
Many happy years were spent living in Ogden. Tragically, however, Micki had been exposed to carbon monoxide in Montana, and it took its toll. She developed dementia and moved to assisted living. On December 1, 2022, Marlene Harrell passed away with Micah by her side. She is survived by her son Micah Wolff, his wife Stephanie and their daughter Alexandra. Micki is also survived by her sister Myrna Wilson, husband Jerry and nephews Tim and Dennis Wilson.
A celebration of her life will be held on May 20, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information please contact myrnawilson102@gmail.com.
