Pohl, Marjorie Ruth (Bestor) 1921-2013

BESTOR, POHL, REID, HORLOCK, CANALE, GALLAGHER, DAHIL, PAPEN, PAULEIT, MUSSELMAN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 2/11/2013 at 14:44:14

Marjorie Ruth Bestor Pohl Our mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Marjorie Ruth Bestor Pohl, died on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, with her three sons at her bedside.

She was born in Green, Iowa in 1921. Her family moved to Newton, Iowa, shortly thereafter, where her father was president of the Maytag Bank. Her father died when she was 8 years old, leaving a close-knit family of two brothers and a sister, and another brother who had died in infancy.

After her father's death, her mother taught Latin and Algebra at Newton High School, with Marjorie at her side as the baby of the family.

When she graduated from high school, she worked in a factory that produced wind energy equipment to pay for her college tuition. She enrolled at the University of Iowa from which she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and a member of Mortar Board.

She married her lifetime companion, Donald E. Pohl, M.D., two days after she graduated from college and they both boasted that at the time of their marriage they had $27 between the two of them. She and her husband moved from Iowa to Connecticut (where she worked at Pratt & Whitney Engines and helped Charles Lindberg with his invoices to England for the Lend/lease program), to Michigan, to Nebraska, back to Iowa, then to Minnesota, Massachusetts and finally arrived in Austin, their final destination in 1952.

By this time, they had two sons, William and James, and had a third son, David, in Austin, Texas. They lived in Austin for the rest of their professional and family lives.

Arriving as a complete stranger from Iowa, in the heart of Texas, she distinguished herself in so many ways. She was President of the Casis P.T.A. in its early years, President of the Austin Aquatic Club, in its prime, President of the Travis County Medical Auxiliary in it's early years (and introduced the first cash bar at their annual meeting), President of P.E.O. and a member of so many clubs with her friends, too numerous to count, but creating a close-knit group of friends that remained so until the end of her life. She was the positive force in her family, having been through very meager times as a child. She appreciated things that some of us took for granted.

Early in her life, she was influenced by her Aunt and Uncle, a very famous Columbia-trained Pathologist and State Chess Champion from Des Moines, Iowa. In their home, and with her little cousin Gertrude, she became an accomplished classic pianist, and a cappella choir member and a strict defender of proper English language. During this time, as was her style, she persuaded her Uncle to buy her cousin and herself bicycles. As her sons grew up, she inculcated similar standards in them, accepting very little short of the best from them academically and did her best at managing three very unruly boys. As her boys grew she became involved in their lives with countless Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Pee Wee League, Little League, Aquatic Club, Rock Bands, tennis teams, high school parties, fraternity parties while typing and proofreading assignments from kindergarten all the way up to medical school. She even learned to drive a Willis jeep, a silver-blue GTO with 4 on the floor and a Skylark Convertible.

Then 14 grandchildren came along, with whom she was as much or more involved, and finally, 19 great-grandchildren with two on the way.

Marjorie is survived by her son, William Bestor Pohl of Austin, and his children: Amy and Todd Reid of Austin, and their children Cole, Blake, Carson and Sutton; Natalie and Roy Horlock of Houston, and their children Trip, Keller, Ryan and Gray; Jeff and Tabatha Pohl from Rutland, Vermont, and their children, Reese, Brinn and Hadley; Mindy Canale of Houston, and her daughter Avery; Jennifer and Sean Gallagher of Austin and their daughter Grace; and Brooke Pohl of Hollywood, CA. Her son, James Keller Pohl, M.D. and his wife Bonnie of Austin, and their children: Katie and Steve Dahil of Spicewood, TX., and their children Emmaline and Finn; Ginnie and Justin Papen of Lewisville, TX., and their children, Ashton, Graysen and Hattie; Elizabeth Pohl, engaged to Nick Pauleit of Dallas, TX. and Mary Caroline Pohl of Austin, TX. Her son, David Frederick Pohl, M.D. and his wife Leslie, of Austin, and their children: Matthew and Kristin Pohl of Austin; Luke Pohl of Dallas; Julie and Luke Musselman of Midland, TX., and their daughter Leslie; and Jake Pohl of Austin. Whether she was Mom, Margie, Mother Dear or Grand-Margie she loved them all. Her death leaves a deep emptiness, felt by us all. There will be a memorial service at Westminster Presbyterian Church, at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, February 11, 2013. The church is located at 3208 Exposition Blvd, Austin, TX. Obituary and memorial guestbook available online at www.wcfish.com

Published in Austin American-Statesman from February 9 to February 11, 2013