Posted by Newspaper Transcriber on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 22:53:18 :

Erma Alice Marsh

Erma Alice Marsh, who spent her long life on the coast, died March 25 at Seton Hospital Daly City following an illness. She was 86.

Mrs. Marsh was born in San Gregorio, where she attended a one-room farmhouse school and was the Queen in the 1936 Holy Ghost Festival.

At 17, she married Elbert Patrick Marsh. The couple lived in various towns on the Coastside and made a life with their five children on their ranch, where they raised dairy and beef cattle, produce, hay and grain.

Mrs. Marsh worked hard on the ranch, cooking for her family and for all of the ranch hands, said family and friends. They describe her as a kind and generous woman who was "there to help" any neighboring family that didn't have enough to eat.
"Quite often," they added, "she would show up at a friend's or family member's door, with a carload of groceries. Some would call her their 'angel bearing gifts.'"

Mrs. Marsh was known for "caring for others, doing a lot of giving," said her daughter, Marilyn Marsh of Half Moon Bay.

Mrs. Marsh belonged to the I.D.E.S. Society, the Farm Bureau and Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Church.

Mrs. Marsh is preceded in death by her husband of 36 years, Elbert Patrick Marsh (1978), her son Kenneth Patrick Marsh (2005), daughter Beverly Rose Marsh (1994) and brother Frank Deniz.

She is survived by her son Robert Marsh of Half Moon Bay, daughters Jackie Leatherwood of Bandon, Ore., and Marilyn Marsh of Half Moon Bay, 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

She is also survived by her brother Tony Deniz of Tucson, Ariz., and sisters Mary Garcia of Half Moon Bay, Betty Jennings of Fremont and Elsie Willard of Placerville.
Services were held Thursday at the Miller-Dutra Coastside Chapel, with burial immediately following at the Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Cemetery.

Half Moon Bay Review and Pescadero Pebble, Wednesday, April 5, 2006