Marshall Eugene Dark was born on May 24, 1932, in Deepwater to William Russell and Gladys Faye (Renfro) Dark. Mr. Dark died on April 21, 2007, at Appleton City Manor Nursing Home at the age of 84. Marshall made his profession of faith through baptism at the age of nine. He graduated from Deepwater High School in 1940, then attended business college in Kansas City for two years before serving in the Army Medical Corp Med Tech from 1942-1944.

Following his discharge, he returned home to Deepwater working the public school where he met Edna Mae Watts. They married in 1946 moving to Appleton City where Marshall worked as a laboratory technician.

Marshall surrendered his life to the ministry in 1948. He attended Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, then William Jewell College in Liberty. He was ordained Nov. 13, 1949, his first pastorate being Coon Creek Baptist Church in Collins. During his years in the ministry, Marshall pastored in Cotter and Elaine, Ark., Dexter, Jasper, Ind., and Sandy Baptist Church in Hillsboro. He served on the executive board of the Missouri Southern Baptist Convention and received his doctorate in theology from Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. Marshall retired from full time ministry in 1988, and he and Edna Mae moved to Clinton. Marshall was interim pastor in several local churches and served as chaplain at Golden Valley Hospital for several years.

Marshall and Edna Mae raised three children, Russell Lare Dark of Tulsa, Okla., Marsha Dean Dark of Chesapeake, Va., and Elizabeth Faye (Dark) Hough of Rockville. He was preceded in death by his wife Edna Mae; his parents; and two brothers, Forrest L. Dark and Norman R. Dark. Marshall is survived by his children, Russell, Marsha, and Bob and Beth Hough; his grandchildren, Jennifer Stocklaufer and jeremy Burns, Scarlett Hough and Bruce Watson, Amroth Hough and Kevin Reed, Zieka Hough and John Davison, Marshall Saxon uriah Hough, Jael Elizabeth Hough and Christopher Matthew Dark; seven great-grandchildren; by family, Charlene, Roy, Lee Robert and Sahara Watson, Kathryn and Arianna Davison

A private graveside service was held at 2 p.m. Monday, April 23, 2007, at Appleton City Cemetery in Appleton City with Hill & Son Funeral Home, 213 W. 6th Street, Appleton City, Mo. 64724 in charge of arrangements.

Paid