Kathryn Elaine Marker

Kathryn Elaine Marker passed peacefully in her home on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 following a brief illness. Elaine was a devoted wife to her husband, Harry, and a kind & loving mom to her children and grandchildren. She lived a quiet life after Harry’s passing in 2002, but her earlier years were more noteworthy.

Many people don’t know that Elaine (along with her cousin, Janet) worked briefly as a clerk for the FBI (yes, that FBI) right after high school. We're not sure what the job entailed, but we do know that when there was an emergency late one night, she was called to unlock the FBI building. My, how times have changed.

Elaine loved to sing and was blessed with a beautiful voice. She sang in a competition at the Ohio State Fair. She sang in the choir at the Christian Church of Unionport and also with the Gospel Keys in Steubenville for many years.

Elaine and Harry loved to travel. She would pore over the AAA Tour Books, planning all of the things they’d stop to see along their journeys. They drove to every state you could reach by car - including Alaska - plus nearly every province of Canada. If there was a bridge to Hawaii, they would have probably driven there, too.

You would never hear her swear, but she did have an extensive vocabulary of replacement words. “Ish-ka-bibble!” and “beansoup!” were her favorites.

She was a voracious reader. She kept a tally of books she read, and in recent years she read at least one book a day. That’s a memory her family will always treasure - Elaine sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, a piece of toast, and a good book.

Elaine, our mother, grandmother, and friend, will be remembered for her kind smile and sweet spirit. And that’s a lovely legacy for us to carry in our hearts.

In addition to her husband, she is preceded in death by her parents, James and Mary Blackburn; daughter, Cindy Briem and brother, Gary Blackburn.  

Elaine is survived by her sons, James (Cathy) Marker and Zack Marker; and grandchildren, Bethany (Ben Wilson) Marker, Rachel Marker, Seth Marker, Al Marker, and Quin Corvus.  

Per Elaine’s wishes private services were held at Bloomingdale Cemetery.  

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