Marie Zediker

Marie Surrette Zediker, age 90, died peacefully on May 14, 2015, at her home in Water Valley, Mississippi, with her children at her side. Marie was born in Yalobusha County on November 26 to Joe and Leona Surrette. After attending school in the Campground community, she worked her way through college and received her B.A. in education from Athens State College in Athens, Alabama. At this time after WWII, teachers were in great demand in the western U.S., so immediately following her graduation, Marie showed the fierce independence and courage that would characterize the rest of her life and boarded a bus headed west to Colorado to teach in the ranching community of DeBeque (population ca. 250). She eventually settled in the small ranch town of Grand Valley, Colorado (now Parachute). where she met and married WWII vet and cattle rancher Lloyd Zediker. He preceded her in death in 1968. Marie embraced the western life style, but never lost her southern touch. She spent her career as an educator, teaching high school business subjects, reading and English, and coaching the drama and award-winning FBLA teams. In addition, Marie taught business skills courses for Colorado Mountain College. She received her M.A. in Business Education from Western State College in 1968. A lifelong proponent of the importance of education, her skills as a teacher gave numerous students the knowledge and confidence to succeed in life. She believed in her students and taught them to believe in themselves. At the heart of Marie’s life was her family. She returned to Mississippi to care for her elderly mother, then returned again to open “Nana Ree’s day care” to take care of her two grandsons before they reached school age, and up to the end of her life, she was actively engaged with younger generations of the family advising them on everything from quilt patterns to grammar usage and rose gardening. In addition to her husband, Marie was also preceded in death by all of her six brothers and sisters. She is survived by daughter Diane Zediker-Pastore (Victor), son Glen Zediker, grandsons Matthew and Charlie Zediker, sister-in-law Marvel Surrette, and numerous generations of nieces and nephews. A 33-year lymphoma survivor, Marie requested that donations in her memory be sent to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall of this website.