Marion Joseph Alexander was born February 17, 1900, at Attica, Kansas, the eldest of five sons of James Marion and Marguerite Florence (Ruff or Roof) Alexander. He was united with the church at the age of 12 in Goddard, Kansas. After his graduation from Haven High School, he attended Southwestern College, receiving his A.B. in 1929. He received Deacon’s orders in 1932 and was elected an Elder two years later. Rev. Alexander married Lenora Eva Poppe on January 12, 1929. They had three sons – Loren Ray, Ernest James, and Merlin Francis. During his life, Rev. Alexander served churches in Gate-Knowles, Oklahoma (1930, before his admittance to the Southwest Kansas Conference), Wilburton (1931), Radium (1933), Arlington (1936), Belle Plaine (1940), Coats and Lake City (1942), Clearwater and Independence (1944), Clearwater (1945), Sedgwick (1947), Haven (1951-1956), and Herington (1956-1965). Mrs. Alexander, recalling the early days of his ministry during the Dust Bowl period, told of their first home in a basement parsonage where the dust blew in the house in great drifts. She spoke of the blinding dust which made travel difficult, and the hard times of the Great Depression. Rev. Alexander retired in 1965, but he continued to serve churches for seven more years. These included Arlington-Abbyville (1965-1966), Hutchinson (Mitchell Chapel) (1966-1969) Turon-Langdon (1969-1970), and Turon (1970-1971). He died on June 4, 1985, in Hutchinson and is buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery in that city.

Note written by Sarah St. John