Marjorie Jean (Crews) McMillan

Marjorie Jean (Crews) McMillan passed away after a short illness on Tuesday July 13, 2021 at The Lodge in Fayette, Missouri.  She was 94 years old.  Born on March 15, 1927 in Fayette to James Hamilton “Hamp” Crews and Marie Elizabeth (Heying) Crews, Margie attended Fayette public schools until the family relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1938, where she graduated from high school in 1944.  Upon returning to Fayette, Margie attended Central College (now Central Methodist University).

Margie married Charles Keeling “Dude” McMillan on September 22, 1946.  Her love and partner in life, Dude owned McMillan’s Café in Fayette while Margie ran their home.  Beginning with the “coffee drinkers” at eight o’clock in the morning, local patrons throughout the day and a college hang-out in the evenings, Mac’s was both a full-time job and passion for them both and she was his perfect partner to make it all work.

When the youngest of their four children was in school, Margie went back to Central and received a degree in Art Education in 1971.  A gifted artist all her life, Margie fulfilled a dream to teach art.  She became the art teacher at Fayette public schools, teaching painting, drawing and taught herself photography to produce the Fayette High School yearbook.

After retirement, Dude and Margie traveled extensively.  They saw much of the US and made many international trips with Margie snapping pictures at every turn.  Each year they took a trip to Gulfport, Mississippi with Dude’s brothers and their wives to reconnect with friends visiting at the same time.

Margie was always civic minded.  She was a founding member of The Golden Study Club where she held most every leadership role, produced the club’s annual yearbook and chaired the Halloween Parade, an annual tradition that continues still.  She was a member of PEO, The Retired Teacher’s Association and The Red Hatters.  She served as a docent for the Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art on the CMU campus. She was a member of the First Christian Church of Fayette.  In earlier years she taught vacation bible school and more recently her church community became increasingly important to her.

Dude and Margie were avid sports fans.  They attended St. Louis Cardinal Baseball games often both in St. Louis and at spring training in Florida.  Margie continued to listen or watch the Cardinals every night for the rest of her life.  She loved to attend Fayette High School and CMU sports and music activities to cheer for her children and grandchildren.

Margie was preceded in death by her beloved Dude in 2007.  She is survived by her brother, Tom Crews of Enumclaw, Washington and her four children, Ron (Velma) of Columbia, Dana (Gus) of Kansas City, Brian (Peggy) of Fayette and Laurie (Tim) of O’Fallon; 8 grandchildren, Lisa of Columbia, Patrick (Melanie) of Houston, Texas, Maggie of St. Louis, Collin, Cameron and Kieran of Fayette, Danny and Drew of St. Louis and one great grandson, Henry. Also surviving are her sister-in-law, Joan McMillan of Fayette, numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

Services will be held at The First Christian Church of Fayette on Saturday, July 31, 2021 at 11:00 am.  The Church will host a luncheon following the services.  Margie’s family will receive friends at the church from 10:00 am Saturday until service time.

Donations may be made in Margie’s honor to The First Christian Church of Fayette or the Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art.

The family would like to express their most heartfelt thank you to Leigh Hilderbrand and the staff of The Lodge in Fayette for their loving care in the last year and a half of Margie’s life.

Condolences may be shared at www.carryager.com.

Arrangements entrusted to Carr-Yager Funeral Home, Fayette, Missouri.

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