Marge Durfee

Marge Durfee peacefully passed from mortality to immortality October 9, 2024 in Cedar City, Utah with her sister, Sherry, by her side.

Marge was born May 6, 1951 to Cyril Moroni and Enid Lue Eyre Durfee in Tooele, Utah. She grew up with her five siblings: older brother Milo Ray, and younger siblings, twins, Sherry Marie and Terry Eyre, Esther Lynn, and Tamera “Tammy” Kay in Grantsville, attending elementary and high school there. During high school, she’ll be remembered for her active participation in theater and debate and for making and keeping deep and life-long friendships with her schoolmates. She was a wonderful cheerleader to her family, spending many hours watching her brothers’ baseball and football games and her sisters’ horseback riding competitions.

After high school graduation, she attended Ricks College, now BYU-Idaho, for one year. Because of her keen mind, energetic personality and ability to learn quickly, she was never without a job. As a teenager she worked in the Blue Bird, the local variety store. While working for a bank in Salt Lake City using a Wang machine, she was one of the earliest people to use word processing. She lived and worked in a variety of jobs in Grantsville, Salt Lake City, Delta, Tooele, and Cedar City, UT and Augusta, GA and Eagle River, and Valdez, AK. 

Following a near-fatal gunshot wound when she was 21, she suffered many physical hardships and struggled with her health throughout the rest of her life which taught her resilience, persistence, and perseverance through trials.

Blessed with a beautiful voice, she was often asked to sing in church and at many of the funerals in Tooele County. She is remembered for singing “How Great Thou Art” with Tom Stam. 

Never afraid to use her acting and singing talents, she participated in the Promised Valley production in SLC, and played the lead role in Grantsville High’s production of Bye Bye Birdie. She also played leading roles in the Grantsville Memorial Opera House Theatre’s productions of Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, and Hello, Dolly!, and productions of Auntie Mame and Hello, Dolly! in Delta.

As an avid Utah Jazz fan, she loved to watch “her team” play. Her great sense of humor and quick wit made her a great storyteller, and she would welcome any opportunity to debate politics. With her “gift of gab,” she made friends quickly. 

She enjoyed being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved teaching the youth in her church callings. She enjoyed any holiday, but especially loved Christmases and made them special occasions for her extended family and friends. She was an exceptionally thoughtful shopper.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and brothers Milo and Terry Durfee.

She is survived by her daughter Michelle Faun Staples (Joey) Shideler and granddaughter Madison Schuller of Silt, CO; Michael Leo Staples, (divorced) of Tooele, UT; her sisters, Sherry (Sheldon) Stephens, Esther (Hector) Zamora of Cedar City; and Tammy (John) Anderson of Loma, CO; sisters-in-law, Renee Kreimeyer, and Vickey Durfee; her nieces and nephews, David Durfee, Merilee Jones, Amey Zeigler, Dallin Durfee, Marc Durfee; Michael Stephens, Jason Stephens, Angie Thomas; James Grygierczyk, Ashlee Grygierczyk, Lacey Schaff, Lindsay Montoya, Joshua Montoya; Todd Cole, Crystal Cole and Cody Cole and many grand-nieces and nephews who each thought they were her favorite.

At her request, she is being cremated and no funeral service will be held, but her family will be gathering at a later date to celebrate her life.