Marjorie Elizabeth Pepple (née Franks), a woman of profound strength, sharp wit, and an endless capacity for love, passed away peacefully at her home on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the age of 96. Surrounded by the family that was the center of her world, she stepped into eternity, leaving behind a legacy that spanned nearly a century.

Marjorie was born on December 9, 1929, in Trebloc, Mississippi, to Henry Franks and Willie Bell Burks. Her childhood in Hayti, Missouri, shaped the woman she would become—one who understood the quiet dignity of hard work and the sacred importance of kin.

It was in Hayti, around 1949, that Marjorie met the love of her life, Charles Pepple. The story of their beginning became family lore: a grocery clerk at the local store, Charles was bet ten dollars by a co-worker that he couldn’t land a date with Marjorie. And let’s just say groceries wasn’t the only thing that Marjorie was taking home that night; Charles may have won that ten dollars, but he also won a prize far greater. The two became inseparable and were wed in July 1949 in Clay County, Arkansas. Together, they raised six children: Daphna Gross, Joe Pepple, Shirley Snow, Terry Pepple, Destel Pepple, and Vickie Pepple.

Seeking a brighter future, Marjorie and Charles eventually moved their family to Michigan. Marjorie was a pillar of the Harbor Plating Shop for 20 years, where she was respected for her unwavering work ethic and her gentle, kind spirit. Though she lacked formal schooling, Marjorie possessed a brilliant, intuitive mind; she was "smart as a whip," a graduate of life’s hardest lessons and most beautiful moments.

Marjorie found her greatest joys in the simple treasures of life: a quiet afternoon watching The Waltons, a plate of black-eyed peas, and long, soulful phone calls with her lifelong best friend and sister, Mary Dickson. Her heart was especially tender toward the youngest generations of her family, sharing a unique companionship with her great-grandson, Tyler Snow, and a bond of pure light with her great-great-granddaughter, Victoria Briley.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles; her two brothers and two sisters; four of her children; and one grandson.

Her memory will be cherished and kept alive by those who survive her: her daughter, Linda Pepple; her sister; eight grandchildren; twenty-two great-grandchildren; and seventeen great-great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, and friends whose lives were softened and bettered by her 96 years on this earth.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Marjorie’s life at Hutchins Funeral Home in Watervliet, Michigan, on Friday, April 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM with visitation prior starting at 11:00 AM. Services will be officiated by Richard Kiser.

The air will be filled with the music she loved, including “When I Get Where I’m Going,” “Waltz Across Texas,” “Jealous of the Angels,” and “Send Your Best Angels for Mama.” Following the service, Marjorie will be laid to rest at Millburg Cemetery.