Marjorie "Marge" Kinkel Kerr

August 21, 1923 - November 10, 2013 Marjorie “Marge” (Kinkel) Kerr was born August 21, 1923 in Littleton, Colo. to Benton G. and Clarrinda (Simms) Kinkel. Her family moved to Arvada when she was a small child. She grew up in Arvada when it was a small town. Her fond memories of childhood with her sister Katie (Young) were treasured. She graduated from Arvada High School in 1941. Soon after, when WWII consumed everyone's lives, she enlisted in the Coast Guard and was stationed in Florida and New York City. As a Storekeeper, one of her duties was paying Coast Guard personnel. This great experience gave her lifelong memories and a best friend from Vermont. After the war, she returned home and worked for her father, doing books for his plumbing business. She met Ralph Kerr, a returned WWII hero who was then an apprentice in her father's business. They married on November 22, 1946. In 1951, they built their home at 5595 Field St., where they lived out their lives. She and Ralph had two children, Linda and Robert “Bob”. While her children were growing up, Marge was primarily a homemaker, although she also worked at the Wheatridge Dairy and Eaker's Department Store. She especially enjoyed working at the Candle Cottage in Boulder. Following Bob's sports activities through high school, and afterwards in the minor leagues in baseball, gave her great pleasure. Various needle arts were central to her life, and she was always learning something new (needlepoint, counted cross-stitch, and more), always sharing these new skills with friends, her sister Katie and daughter Linda, who was thrilled to learn from her Mom and carries on the tradition to this day. Quilting, however, gave Marge the greatest pleasure in life. As a child, she would watch her great grandmother, Clarinda Simms, quilt in the bay window of her house on Yukon, and there she learned quilting, a lifelong love. Her skill became well-known locally, and she taught at various quilt shops and eventually became part owner of Quilts in the Attic, in Denver. She was one of the founding mothers of the Colorado Quilt Council. Marge received national recognition, and her quilts have been featured in magazines, books, and a calendar. The unique art of Hawaiian quilting became Marge's passion. She learned the technique from Deborah Kakalea, a renowned master who taught at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. She made at least a dozen trips over the years to the Hawaiian Islands, which she loved. She was honored by the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, which sponsored a show for her at Quilts in the Attic. As a thank you, she donated one of her quilts to the museum. Marge taught Hawaiian quilting for over 20 years and co-founded two Hawaiian Quilt groups - Haole Connection and Ka Kapa Hui. She remained close to the many friends she made through quilting throughout her life. Son Bob lived with his parents for many years, helping Marge care for Ralph until his death in 2000, and afterwards caring for his mother. Bob passed away in 2012. Marge spent her last two years in assisted living. She passed away on November 10, 2013. A memorial service and inurnment are being planned for this spring.