Marjorie Marie Emanuel Penninger, 87, of Springfield, MO passed away Saturday morning December 20, 2014 peacefully in her sleep at home. She was born August 19, 1927 in Chickasha, OK to Dr. Roy Edgar Emanuel and Erda Thelma Owen Emanuel. Marjorie graduated from the University of Oklahoma and went to work as a medical technologist in Oklahoma City at a bone and joint hospital where she met her husband Dr. William H. Penninger. They were united in marriage on June 15, 1951. They traveled for six months looking for a place to practice, finally settling on Springfield. She enjoyed spending time with her three children, grandchildren and her new great-grandchild. Marjorie was passionate about sports and was an excellent golf and tennis player. She also enjoyed her involvement with Girl Scouts, Head Start, PTA, and her art group. She was a founding and longtime member of the Springfield Regional Opera Guild. She had many wonderful friends from all of her activities. Marjorie went back to work as a Medical Technologist after raising her children and later received a MBA from Drury College. She was preceded in death by her parents who were killed in a plane crash when she was young, her husband, and her brother Dawin Emanuel. Marjorie is survived by a son, William Holt "Bill" Penninger, Jr. and his partner Kathryn Kaniowski; two daughters, Susan Reid, and Carol Minton and her husband, Steven; seven grandchildren, Una Lee Penninger, William Holt Penninger, III, Nicole (Reid) and her husband Richard Kamprath, Courtney (Reid) and her husband Joe Brockmeier, Danielle Reid, Alexander Minton and James Minton. She was very happy to have her first great-grandchild, Reid Kamprath. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Dawin Emanuel Vocal Scholarship Fund at MSU, 901 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO 65897, or the Springfield Regional Opera Guild, 411 N. Sherman Parkway, Springfield, MO 65802. Services will be Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. in First and Calvary Presbyterian Church with burial in Hazelwood Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, December 26, 2014 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. The family would like to thank her Oxford caregivers and her loyal friends who helped her continue her activities.
