Marilyn Faith Anderson Sampson

Marilyn Faith Anderson Sampson, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed peacefully after an extended battle with Parkinsons, in the early morning of April 9, 2026, at age 90.

Marilyn’s two-month premature entrance to the world was nothing short of a miracle. A desperate Taft hospital doctor had deemed Marilyn not survivable thus laying her tiny frame aside on a cold hospital cabinet at 4:07 in the morning on November 27, 1935, entwined with her identical twin, Sharilyn Joy. Revived from the intervening hands of an angelic stranger, her first heart beats slowly pinked her little blue body. A nightshift nurse had found the identical girls, swept them up, and proceeded to rescue their lives.

Arriving behind her identical twin, Marilyn always felt she was tucked up close to her mother’s heart. She and her sister were in the opening procession to seven Anderson siblings. Hazel eyes and naturally curly locks were soft against Marilyn’s unassuming smile. From her earliest years, she had a genuine heart hoping to please, reserved though inquisitive to do what was right, and an innate protectiveness for the weak. Just as she had entered the world, she was grateful for the leading direction of her twin sister.

Strong Church ideals, babysitting her siblings, domestic duties at home, retrieving coal, and the responsibilities of garden and farm life were daily expectations for Marilyn. With poverty and hardship impacting many families in the 1940’s, Marilyn’s family of 9 were not immune from seasons of hunger. Her first twelve years of life would groom Marilyn’s future adaptability, as her parents’ search for employment moved her through six different schools. She was not a fan of indoor domestic duties, but at ten years old, she and her precious twin, took over all the household duties, when their mother became gravely ill and was moved to a hospital that was out of state. Marilyn’s heart jumped at any chance to be outside in the open fields of their little farm in Des Moines, Iowa. There weren’t many moments free from obligations, but carefree instances were enjoyed with a windy big swing, tomboyish adventures and with her beloved farm animals.

Moments such as baby goats butting the kitchen door, dancing in the kitchen, picking vegetables and berries while letting their imagination run wild with smiles on their face, a ride of her life that took her across the green meadow on her baby bull Buster, or giggling while feeding dropped apples to Bossy the cow tamed those uncertain days. They were also influential in the beginnings of Marilyn’s private reflections with writing intricate poetry, songs and journaling her unspoken desires to Jesus.

Along with her love for the outdoors, music was another happy outlet for all the Anderson children. From early on, Marilyn and her twin would be called upon to sing together and on her 9th birthday, their mother gave her the gift of mentoring her on the piano. Marilyn had a natural ability for music. Little would she foresee that the magic of music ingrained in her young heart would become a source of continuous comfort and retreat, as she developed into a gifted accompanist, even into her 90th year. Hidden in her musical soul box are hours of composing beautiful lyrics and songs, mastering the organ, piano and accordion, playing guitar with her children, playing the standup bass, the trombone and harmonizing skillfully in choir. She has composed so many songs to paper that a book is in the works. Her love for music would also foreshadow a lifetime partnership with her husband of 65 years, who happened to be a passionate music professional.

It was in 1955, when a nineteen-year-old Marilyn adventured 2,000 miles across the states to attend Bethany College located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She had an unquenchable thirst for study and knowledge that propelled her in many academic directions. If you’ve been privy to visiting her home library, even recently, it still houses well over 1,000 books and gorgeously detailed poetry and prayer journals. Her first love for Bible history and Scripture initiated her beginning, with the result of a theology degree and ministerial license. Her time in California shortened to a couple of years, because she was awarded a full ride scholarship to a nursing school at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Marilyn’s dream, from the age of ten, had always been to become a doctor, but she discovered a life enduring zeal when she graduated with her RN degree in September of 1959.

After graduation, Marilyn was unexpectedly given a joyous vacation opportunity, of a driving trip back across the country in a VW Bug, with a nurse friend. Marilyn spent those days visiting some family in Taft, then went north to San Jose in January of 1960. It was in those halls of a San Jose Acute Care Hospital, that she stepped into her days of wearing a nursing cap and white shoes. This divine timeline set in motion her finding the love of her life, Lawrence Sampson, in April of 1960. Their timeless attraction had them married that very year on November 11, 1960. Together, they would go on to live happily in the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains on the San Lorenzo River and beautiful Scotts Valley mountainside. Marilyn’s life dreams would come to fruition in California for the next seventy years of her life.

God blessed Marilyn’s home with three children, two sons and one daughter. The sons and daughter married after graduating from college, adding two amazing daughters-in-law and a wonderful son-in-law. Marilyn’s joy was further increased with her five beautiful grandchildren and four great grandchildren, who carry on her legacy. Her life was blessed with family camping trips, soaking in the ocean on the Santa Cruz Wharf, having a hot fudge sundae with pralines and cream, hosting family holidays with ham and corn on the cob, group singing around the piano, laughing while playing her favorite masterpiece game, writing exquisite poetry and greeting cards to loved ones, relaxing afternoons having coffee with her lifelong love, or spending moments praying at her desk with Jesus.

Marilyn laid aside her nursing career for thirteen years when the children were small but picked it up again when their youngest entered junior high school. Her love for people propelled her passion through 40 years in nursing, where she supervised as a charge nurse, looked into obstetrics and midwifery, with her last ten years being dedicated to Hospice care and terminally ill patients. In addition to bedside nursing, she went on to earn a Specialized License in Bible Ministry, allowing her to counsel the sick and dying and their families. She then enrolled in seminary to prepare herself more thoroughly for that occupation. She mentored women, taught Bible classes, and returned to Bethany College at the age of 50 accomplishing a Bachelors’ degree with honors in Psychology. Though highly educated, all the academia in the world cannot simply identify Marilyn. This is what she would humbly want you to understand about the guiding Compass of her life which is found in Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

Everything in Marilyn’s day to day would have a faith centered purpose. There wasn’t a day where she wouldn’t radiate a life-changing smile that lit up the darkest room, reach out to hold your hand, or hug a stranger and want to pray blessing over them. She had a love for people up until her last breath. Her ultimate desire was to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.