Marjorie Mae Tennyson, 89, passed away, November 11, 2015, at the Hospice House in Rapid City after a brief stay there following a long, brave and well-fought battle with cancer. She was greatly assisted in her last years by the precious souls in the Custer medical profession including Wedgwood Regional Senior Care, Custer Regional Hospital, Custer Regional Senior Care, and especially Dr. Lisa Brown. Marjorie was blessed and grateful to be in such great care and her entire family expresses their sincere gratitude to all who helped her and provided her comfort.

Marjorie Mae Ferkin was born an only child to Oneita Helen (Averill) Ferkin and Matthew James Ferkin on July 6, 1926 in Wetonka, in McPherson County, South Dakota. Her early years were spent on a farm near Leola before her family moved to town. Those years were filled with happiness and joy despite the national and global events of the time. In 1944, she graduated as the class valedictorian from Leola High School and obtained an associate degree in journalism at SDSU. She remained to work on campus when she met and fell in love with the young Navy veteran Bernie W. Tennyson of Rapid City who was attending college on the GI Bill. They married on March 18, 1950, moving to Lead after Bernie graduated with a pharmacy degree. Two years and two sons later, they moved to Custer where they would live out their lives together, raising seven children on Harbach Lane east of town. Bernie owned and operated Tennyson Pharmacy for decades while Marj tirelessly went about the difficult task of tending to the many needs of all of those kids through thick and thin, good times and bad. Bernie and Marj were very active in the community and the Catholic Church and enjoyed many social events and gatherings with their children and dear friends. Many happy times were spent together fishing, camping, hunting and during family drives around the Black Hills. Bernie passed away on January 18, 1997 and Marj quietly and stoically lived her life without her soul mate for all the years since. Until recently, she was able to live independently and enjoy many blessed years with her family and friends and has now gone to reunite with her loving husband.
Marj was preceded in death by her husband Bernie, her parents Helen and Jim Ferkin, her granddaughter, Jill Ellen Tennyson, and great granddaughter, Sophie Darr. She is survived by her children, Patrick (Tammy) Tennyson of Whitewood, Michael (Bonnie) Tennyson of Custer, Jeanne (Blaine) Foss of Custer, Colleen (Daniel) Clapper of Rapid City, Timothy (Deidre) Tennyson of Jackson, Wyoming, Jeffrey (Sandra) Tennyson of Custer, and Sue Tennyson of Custer; 17 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 10:00, a.m. on Tuesday, November 17th at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Custer, with a wake and memorial services on November 16th at 7:00, p.m., also at St. John's Catholic Church. A memorial fund has been established in Marjorie's name at Chamberlain McColley's Funeral Home in Custer.