Marian V Pelking

Marian Virginia Pelking died on December 10, 2019, in Las Cruces, NM, after a short illness. She is survived by her brother, William Jacob Wahlert of Albuquerque NM, and her children: Scott Irwin Pelking and his wife, Priscilla, of El Paso, TX, and Holly Lynne Pelking Zegelin and her husband, Chris, of San Jose, CA. Also surviving her are three grandchildren: Ryan Douglas Pelking and his wife, Kara; Rachel Wood and her husband, Matthew; and Robyn Pelking-Chavez, and her husband, Mario Chavez, and four great-grandchildren. She is also survived by Daniel Zegelin, the son of Chris Zegelin, with whom she had a close grandmotherly relationship. Marian Virginia Wahlert was born August 19, 1929, in Ft. Thomas, KY, a small town across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, OH. She was the eldest of three children of William and Marian Wahlert. She married Douglas Pelking, whom she met at Kaiser High School in Dayton, OH. August 25, 1947. Her first child, Scott, was born in Dayton, OH. She, her husband, and their baby moved to Mishawaka, IN, then Las Cruces, NM, where Douglas worked as a field engineer at White Sands Missile Range. Marian had long been interested in working with children, as evidenced by her volunteer work in the kindergarten Sunday school at First Presbyterian Church. This interest bloomed into her starting at NMSU in 1964 to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. Her education was interrupted by the family's move back to South Bend, IN. She continued her education at Indiana University South Bend, graduating Magna Cum Laude with bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 1973. She taught for several years at Northside Elementary School, Mishawaka, IN. During the summers of 1976 and 1977, Marian ‘s dedication to working with young children led her to pursue a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Indiana State University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1977. In 1982, Marian and Douglas returned to Las Cruces when Douglas went to work at White Sands. Marian taught first-grade at East Picacho Elementary Schoolc until her retirement. Her years as an educator were marked with notable awards and accomplishments. She participated in three teacher exchange programs-once to Australia, once to Denmark, and a third to the Soviet Union. She helped her school district obtain an Exxon grant in mathematics. She earned a Milliken Award for Education. In 1994. She was named Outstanding Mathematics Teacher by the New Mexico Academy of Science in 1992. In 1993, Marian received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Math Teaching, New Mexico Teacher of the Year (First Runner Up), and Las Cruces Teacher of the Year. After her retirement she remained intensely interested in early childhood education. She enjoyed traveling with her husband until his death in 2007; thereafter, she traveled with with her daughter. Her continued to pursue her hobbies: her lifelong love of sewing, and the study of native cultures, regional history, and the Amish. A Celebration of Marian's life will be held at 2 P.M, Saturday, February 1, 2020 at First Presbyterian Church located at 200 E. Boutz Rd. Service Information
Saturday, February 1, 2020 2:00pm,
First Presbytarian Church

200 E. Boutz Rd.
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005






Interment Location

Hillcrest Memorial Gardens

5140 W. Picacho Ave.
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007