Across Prairie Roots to Wyoming Choirs: The Life and Family of Marjorie Lorraine Dickey

Basic Information

Nebraska Beginnings and School Days

Marjorie Lorraine Dickey was born on January 8, 1918, in Otoe County, Nebraska’s rolling countryside. She grew up in Burr and Syracuse, where neighbors knew each other by first name and a severe winter felt like a guest from another century. She was raised in a home that balanced work and community, with school, church, and team sports. Her parents were David Eli Dickey and Clarice E. Miller.

Syracuse High School graduated Marjorie in 1935. She became an adult at 17 that spring as the nation recovered from the Great Depression. Those years built character and brotherhood. Her life record shows that she played softball in the 1930s and worked as a waitress in her early twenties, fitting the era’s days of practical employment and evenings of community sports. The diamond provided her a stage, the restaurant a paycheck, and both fostered a consistent, affable presence that would define her later years.

Marriage, Children, and the 1940s

Richard Herbert Cheney married Marjorie around 1940. On the eve of World War II, the young couple started a family. Their generation learnt to prioritize and adapt. Firstborn Richard Bruce Cheney was born in 1941 in Lincoln, Nebraska; secondborn Robert William in 1943. Parents with two kids born two years apart would have heard toddlers and laundry thumping on a washboard or machine. Susan Mari, their daughter, joined the family in 1955.

These were years of movement and responsibility, of prams and postwar prosperity, of short nights and long days. Marjorie’s early training in persistence and teamwork proved invaluable as the household grew. Even in brief glimpses, her life reflects the steadiness of a family keystone.

From Nebraska to Wyoming

Marjorie and Richard Herbert Cheney moved to Casper, Wyoming, in 1954. She was 36, old enough to have roots yet young enough to start over. The decision shaped her life. Casper was a new place with oilfields and vast skies, where winds could surge without notice and neighbors watched out for each other.

Marjorie lived in Casper for nearly 40 years, raising her children and adjusting to the community’s pace. She died of a stroke on December 26, 1993, ending a life in rural Nebraska and central Wyoming. Her burial at Evansville’s Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery connected her story to pioneer territory immortalized in stone.

Work, Service, and Pastimes

Before working at Bennard’s Funeral Home in Casper, Marjorie was a waitress. The funeral house required calm professionalism and compassion, which matched her church roots. The First United Methodist Church choir and auxiliary provided service and fellowship for her. Singing in a church choir is weekly civic participation. Music was her community language because of Sunday mornings, holiday services, and sustained voice movement in blended harmonies.

The image that emerges is at once practical and warm. Softball teams in the 1930s, steady work to support a growing household, and church stewardship weave together. None of it is flashy, but each element is durable. It is the stuff that builds families and sustains towns.

Family Tree Overview

Timeline of Key Dates

Names, Places, and Records

Marjorie Lorraine Dickey is also known as Marjorie L. Cheney in records. The variances reflect maiden to married name changes and public document middle initials. In Wyoming, a Nebraskan woman formed her adult life on family and church.

Her geography is simple but notable. She started with Burr and Syracuse, had her first kid in Lincoln, and worked and lived in Casper for 40 years. The Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville is a fitting final resting place for a life of duty and family, with historic echoes of migration and fortitude.

Legacy in Public Memory

The accomplishments of her eldest son, Richard Bruce Cheney, bring Marjorie fame. When his name makes headlines, hers follows, reminding us that all public figures have family stories. However, Marjorie’s life details are valuable. She graduated from high school in the 1930s. She supported a family, played team sports at summer diamonds, and sang in a church community for years.

Her life follows a solid American path. Living 75 years in two states, she reared three children over 14 years. She had grandkids and great-grandchildren. Later coverage summarizes her as a waitress turned softball player who settled in Casper in one line. The decades of constant service behind the line are often overlooked but rarely forgotten by those who were there.

FAQ

When and where was Marjorie Lorraine Dickey born?

She was born on 8 January 1918 in Burr, Otoe County, Nebraska.

What were her main places of residence?

She grew up around Syracuse, Nebraska, and moved to Casper, Wyoming, in 1954.

Whom did she marry?

She married Richard Herbert Cheney around 1940 and they remained partners throughout her life.

Who were her children?

Her children are Richard Bruce Cheney, Robert William Cheney, and Susan Mari Hawkins.

What did Marjorie do for work?

She worked as a waitress in early adulthood and later at Bennard’s Funeral Home in Casper.

Was she active in community or church life?

Yes, she was active in the First United Methodist Church and participated in its choir and auxiliary.

Did she play sports?

Yes, she is remembered as a softball player in the 1930s.

When did she die and where is she buried?

She died on 26 December 1993 in Casper, Wyoming, and is buried at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville.

Who were her parents and siblings?

Her parents were David Eli Dickey and Clarice E. Miller, and her brothers included Ward Eugene, Vancel Weldon, and Gerald Arvine, all of whom predeceased her.

Is she related to Liz and Mary Cheney?

Yes, Liz and Mary Cheney are her granddaughters through her son Richard Bruce Cheney.