Marjorie (Marj) Ann (Sealock) Caspers, 81, of Smith Center, Kansas, entered eternal rest on December 21, 2025. Surrounded by her family, she left this world in just the way she intended.
 
Marj was born in Smith Center, Kansas on September 5, 1944, to Rolla Wilson and Sylvia Belle (Rorabaugh) Sealock who taught her the ways of rural life in Kansas over the next 18 years. Marjorie, or Dolly, as she was affectionally called, attended a one-room school, Rising Sun, with her older sister, Ferrol. They enjoyed many Sealock reunions every August, loved picnics with “the Hoxie cousins”, sledding behind Rolla’s tractor, and sleeping out under the stars to escape the summer heat of an old Kansas farmhouse second story bedroom. She learned to give and receive big, meaningful hugs and speak her mind on all matters. Not surprisingly, she preferred the outside farm chores over the inside ones and being outdoors with her hands in the dirt carried her throughout her life.
 
In 1962, Marj graduated from Smith Center High School and moved to Norton, Kansas to work as an operator for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company where she made her way through multiple cities, states, and positions to retire in 1992. She was a proud member of Telephone Pioneers of America and was active in the Topeka chapter. As a young professional woman making her own money and her own way, she moved to Denver with a few friends. After a few years, she drove her pride and joy, Chevy Malibu to Colby to a new position with Ma Bell. There she met a dashing young sailor, Doug Jackson at a party. They married in Smith Center on December 20, 1969 and had two children, Juanita Joy (JJ) in July, 1972 and Nathen Allen in January, 1974 and divorced in 1996. The family lived in Colby, moved to Grand Junction Colorado in 1977 and to Silver Lake, Kansas in 1980 where she lived until retirement in 1992. A proud parent at the kids’ activities, Marj was always cheering the loudest at wrestling matches, football games, and band concerts.

Not one to sit still for very long, Marj explored and created new opportunities for the second half of her life in Smith Center. She bought her dream property east of town and worked diligently to transform a tired, worn-out, abandoned farm and farmhouse into her personal haven, the Sunflower Farm. There she raised about every type of livestock, trained gigantic Pyrenees dogs that often trekked into town looking for “the ladies”, and gardened. Not just little herb gardens, although she did have those. No, Marj planted everything she could and did - trees, lilac bushes, hollyhocks, and zinnias, often from seeds she found or grafted from another. Many have fond memories of getting ready to leave the Sunflower Farm and Marj grabbing a shovel and a box, saying, “Let’s go out to the garden” to fill it with the bounty of her efforts and love. She introduced her niece to asparagus from her garden, and she may be the only person who ever grew and ate okra in north central Kansas. Marj converted her bounty into jellies, horseradish, pie filling, canned chicken, potatoes in every form, and would give away dozens of eggs from her hens. In addition to this real work, she was employed at the Smith County Pioneer, Peterson’s, and the Smith Center School District as well as having her own cleaning business.
 
In 2010, Marj found new love in Robert (Bob) Caspers and they married on Valentine’s Day of that year at Thornburg Church, rural Smith County, Kansas. They furthered their loving bond through friendship, family, faith, and fixing things. As active members of the Thornburg Church and later St. John Lutheran Church of Athol, Marj’s love of the Bible meant she was active in many Bible Study groups, often mentoring younger women in the faith. She and Bob were active members of Gideons International where she served on the Auxiliary Board for the local chapter.

Blessed with many friends and family, Marj really enjoyed having young people run amuck on the Sunflower Farm, helping with chores, exploring, hunting and sitting on the porch. Her grandchildren, Emma, Brennan, Isaac, Mackenzie, Colton, and Ashley along with their friends, spouses, and children, have many fond memories of spending time getting dirty and sweaty with Nana at the farm.

She was preceded in death by many generations of family, her parents, former spouse Doug Jackson, her brother-in-law Gerald Caspers, and sister-in-law Phyllis Pierce.
 
Marj is survived by her loving husband Robert Caspers, of the home, daughter JJ (Kane) Kunard of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; son Nate Jackson (Cara Bowen) of Iola;  step-daughter Janene (Rick) Kuhlman of Osborne; step-son James (Lori) Caspers of Junction City; sister Ferrol (Danny) Lattin of Lawrence; sisters-in-law Karen Cook of Jewell, Betty Caspers of Gaylord; grandchildren, Emma Kunard, Brennan (Bailey) Kunard, Isaac (Samantha Mealman) Kunard, Mackenzie Combes (Jonathan), Colton (Taylor) Jackson, Ashley (Caleb) Anderegg; step-grandchildren, Ryan Kuhlman, Josiah Caspers, Jenna Caspers; great grandchildren, Millie Anderegg, Macie Combes, Walker Jackson, C.J. Austin, Adam and Ava Kuhlman.  

Marj will always be remembered for her authenticity – in her laugh, her loving way, her no-nonsense words, and her making sure the first-borns in her family had some sense of the experience of the not-first-born. She worked hard and loved harder but knew when to sit and enjoy a laugh, a cool breeze and a glass of tea on the porch.
 
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, December 27, 2025, at St. John Lutheran Church, Athol, Kansas, Pastor Ann Auten officiating. Visitation will be held on Friday, December 26, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with the family receiving visitors at All Faiths Funeral Chapel, 113 S. Madison St., Smith Center, Kansas. Burial will take place in Fairview Cemetery, Smith Center, Kansas. Memorials are greatly appreciated and may be given to the Gideons and/or St. John Lutheran Church of Athol, KS and/or Colegio James R. Ganley School in Juarez, Mexico and can be sent in care of the funeral chapel.