My memories of Grandma are of her being all about the family. She was there at all the most important times of our lives, from birth, holidays, to special occasions. She really was the glue that held our family together, as she was the only one that was there for all those events but not just for one of our families, but for them all. I remember going to see Sea Biscuit with her when it came out. LoL...I can also remember near the end her loudly umm...whispering? to me that "He's going to win, isn't he!?" I remember her always renting a cottage when we were growing up as a way of bringing our families even closer together. I think about the fact that when Molly and I were at John Carroll together we'd be at lunch talking about sending Grandma a card because we knew that that was all it took to make her day. I mean she would always give money for birthdays at the same time though, one card from her grandchildren and you'd better be sure everyone in the family was going to hear about it, as she got the biggest kick out of it. I look back and I think about Sunday masses at St. Louis that would directly lead to a Sunday brunch at the Coal Tower. I think about how she wanted the world for all of us, and sat down with me at times, and told me not what I wanted to hear, but what I needed to hear. I remember the fact that I walked in The Black Sheep for the first time in 25 years and once they heard my last name was Bircher it was, "are you realted to Marjorie? She's amazing, that at her age she's still going strong and out and about doing things." I mean we're talking about a woman who drove up until she was 92 or 93 years old, and always knew the quickest route and the right directions, and of course would let you know if she thought you were going the wrong way or not being as fuel efficient as possible. I remember mentioning her name at the recreation center to the woman who ran the bridge group, and she was like "wow you're related to Marjorie she's a great bridge player." I remember when we rented the cottage her making a deal with me that she would buy me a jet ski at 16 and the only reason I think she didn't was because once I reached 16 we were no longer doing the cottage thing. It was something that made my childhood more exciting, it gave me something to look forward to. I remember her getting out a box of vanilla wafers for me every time I would come over to her old house, as I listened to my Monkey Math Raps cassette. Grandma was someone that you could open up to and that we knew she would always be there for us when we needed her to be. I also remember asking her to dance at Paul and Kristen's wedding, which of course she obliged to, then she was nice enough to again and at Brian and Stephanie's wedding. At Molly's I remember how we were both told how to walk up the aisle and where to sit and while my mind went blank when it actually came to doing that Grandma knew exactly what pew we were supposed to be in and in a sense took the lead. Again, grandma was a strong elegant woman, who the Bircher Boys would attribute their puritan work ethic too I'm sure. She was a loving, caring, individual, who knew what she wanted, and knew how she wanted things done. She was honest, sometimes to a fault, but behind all that honesty was love and a true desire for those of us who were around her to raise our standards to a level that few could achieve but her.

Thank you for setting up this memorial to Marge. We hope that you find it a positive experience developing the site and that it becomes a place of comfort and inspiration for you to visit whenever you want or need to.

I am I and you are you, whatever we were to each other that we still are. Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? Life means all that it ever meant, it is the same as it ever was.