Marion Larkin Chamberlain

Marion Larkin Chamberlain passed away at home on Saturday, April 23, 2011, surrounded by his loving family. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, April 29, 2011 at the First Presbyterian Church, 1142 W. Ivy, Moses Lake. Visitation will be held from noon to 7 p.m., Thursday, April 28th at Kayser's Chapel and the family will greet friends from 5 - 7 p.m. Interment will follow at Pioneer Memorial Gardens. Please sign the online guestbook or leave a note for the family at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are in care of Kayser's Chapel & Crematory.

He was born on January 17, 1918, in Farmington Community, Kansas, the son of Elmer Larkin Chamberlain and Mary Myrtie Powell Chamberlain. He was the youngest of nine children. Soon after his birth the family moved to Hatler Community, near Altoona, Kansas. Marion attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse in Hatler School District and high school in Altoona. On November 7, 1936, he married Alberta Faith Elliott, who lived on a neighboring farm. Soon after their union the young couple took over the Chamberlain family farm. Over the next several years, three daughters were born to the couple. In the spring of 1944 the family moved to the Aberdeen, Idaho area where they farmed for the next ten years and where three sons were born, one of whom died at birth. During their residency in Idaho, one daughter, who had contracted encephalitis in conjunction with a bout of German measles, was institutionalized and later died. In February of 1955 the Chamberlains moved to Moses Lake, Washington, where they purchased a little jersey dairy farm on Stratford Road, in Block 40. Fifty-six years later that "little jersey dairy farm," which became Chamberlain Dairy Incorporated during Marion and Alberta's stewardship, has expanded to a 700-head dairy now owned and operated by his son Rex, daughter-in-law Kathy, and grandson Kyle with his son Marvin as the herd's veterinarian. Over the years Marion formed many strong bonds and mutually supportive relationships with other farmers. His intense interest in the preservation of the family farm and agricultural economics led to his joining the National Farmers Organization (NFO) as a lifetime member in 1968. He later became the first National Director of that organization from Washington.

Marion's family and friends knew him as a "man of his word." If he said he would do it, he did-no matter the personal effort or cost. His children are grateful for the life-lessons they learned from their father. "He taught us to set challenging goals and work to achieve them. And we loved watching his serious, sometimes gruff, demeanor turn to mush when an infant was placed in his arms." He truly loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; they returned the favor. The Chamberlain farmhouse was expanded as the generations expanded so that everyone could gather for holidays and birthdays-with Marion presiding.

In the last several years of his life, Marion's health deteriorated from Alzheimer 's disease; but he was blessed with exceptional, loving care from Amanda Naab-Valencia. Marion was preceded in death by a son, Darrell Lee, and a daughter, Nancy Sara; son-in-law, Lee Anderson, and daughter-in-law, Linda Chamberlain. He is survived by his beloved wife of over 74 years, Alberta Faith Elliott; four children--Charlotte Anderson, Ph.D. of Evanston, Illinois; Gayle Loescher, R.N. (husband Ray) of Olympia, Washington; Marvin Chamberlain, DVM, and Rex Chamberlain (wife Kathy) of Moses Lake; 13 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Marion's name to either the Alzheimer's Association, Inland Northwest Chapter, 910 West 5th Avenue, Ste. 256, Spokane, WA 99204 (800/272-3900) or the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 1337, Moses Lake, WA 98837 (509) 764-4644.