1936-2025
Marlene Harris Forsythe was born on February 12, 1936, to Lawrence and Lila Harris. She was the 2nd of 9 children. Four of her siblings survive: Barbara Dodson, Pat Harmsworth, Pam Bowser, and Greg Harris.
In 1956, she met and married Gene Forsythe. They were together forty-nine years before he died in 2006. To this couple were born 7 children: Robert (Amanda) Forsythe, Larry (Svetlana) Forsythe, Dean (Nancy) Forsythe, Barbara (Eugene) Montgomery, Steven (Sandy) Forsythe, Jim (Darla) Forsythe, and Kevin (Christine) Forsythe. All survive her.
Also surviving are 22 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-great-grandchildren. With all of the spouses added in, she has more than 100 descendants. This is her living legacy.
Also surviving are in-laws Roger (Michele) Forsythe, Don (Rose) Forsythe, Carolyn Collins (her sister of her heart), Carolin Harris, Richard Roberts. Too many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family to name, but she loved them all.
Her recent years have been devoted to one of her first loves of writing. She published 7 children’s books under the pseudonym Grandma Honey, and one biography/genealogy book under her name is Marlene Forsythe. She had at least three books in the final stages before she became ill.
Marlene first moved to Logan County in 1972 after nearly twenty years of going where Uncle Sam sent them. Her first job back in the States was with HK Porter here in Bellefontaine, where she was given the job of working with their new computer. From there, she went to work for Mary Rutan Hospital, where she developed and put in their first integrated computer system. She was a founding member of the BPW (Business and Professional Women) in Logan County. She gained national respect and a reputation for innovation in healthcare computerization. In 1978, Sisters of Mercy Healthcare Systems gave her a job offer she could not refuse, which required relocating to the Toledo area. She held that position until her health forced her to cut back on her workload in the late 1980s. She started dabbling in genealogy at that time.
After relocating to Durant, Oklahoma, to help care for her mother, she started getting into genealogy more deeply and was continuing her dive into not only her family but that of her husbands, also. She was doing research up to the day before she went into the hospital in the first week of June.
A Funeral Service will be held at Noon, Thursday, July 10, 2025, at the Goshen Friends Church, 5527 County Rd 153, Zanesfield, Ohio 43360. Visitation will be from 9:30 AM until the time of the service.
Burial will be in the Huntsville Cemetery at 2:30 PM
In Lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to Tower 2 Tower, Wounded Warrior Project, Shoebox by Samaritan’s Purse Ministries, Warner Camp Family Campground, 60 55th St., Grand Junction, MI.
Arrangements are in the care of Jennings Farley & Seeley Funeral Home and Crematory, West Liberty, Ohio.
