Obituary of Marjorie Martha Hieter Holland

Marjorie was born on a wooden kitchen table on her parents Clarence and Georgianna Wood Hieter's farm in Clarkston, Washington. She was the oldest and last surviving sibling of Don, Doris, Dick, and David. She often spoke of her time on the farm during the Great Depression, riding horses bareback and cranking the car engine so they could make it to church. On the farm she began her love of card games and baseball both which she enjoyed until her death. Throughout her life she was an avid reader of all types of books. Always a very strong-willed person she left home to join the Navy during WWII after high school. She served at Bainbridge, Maryland on a hospital ship where she tripped over the love of her life George Fleming Holland while he was scrubbing the deck. They married and moved to California to attend Trinity Bible College on the GI Bill. While George completed his internship as a Prison Chaplain at San Quentin Correctional Institution Marjorie worked on one of the first computers on the Berkley College Campus. After the birth of their third child the family moved to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania where they co-pastored a church in Neffs Mills, PA. Marjorie was one of first ordained women ministers in Pennsylvania and the first Assembly of God woman chaplain. At the time of her death, she had been ordained for over fifty years. She and George worked together as Chaplains at the State Correctional Institution Huntingdon and she was the Chaplain at the Huntingdon County Jail. By 1967 their family consisted of five children. After the death of George in 1979, Marjorie completed her education and became a Chaplain at Western Center in Canonsburg PA then at Muncy Women's Correctional Institute.

She loved to tell the story of her encounter with President Jimmy Carter in 1980 at the McDonalds in Huntingdon. He had been fishing at Spruce Creek and was in the line ahead of her. She said to him "are you Jimmy Carter?" and he replied "yes ma'am I am" and shook her hand. She travelled extensively, her favorites being her cruise to Alaska and her trip to the Holy Land. Upon her retirement from the State of Pennsylvania, she moved to State College, PA where she pastored at Salona United Church of Christ and Mt. Bethel United Church of Christ. After retiring from pastoring at the age of 83 she traveled and had weekly 500 Rummy card games with her dear friends Margo and Brian Kaleita. In 2013 she moved to York, PA to reside at Normandie Ridge Retirement home where her son Scott always watched over her. She was well loved by the staff and shared many stories of her time in the Navy. She and Geoge were both called home at Eastertime. Well done my good and faithful servant.

She is survived by her children Lynn, Scott (Sheryl), Traci (Brad), Mark (Donna), and Christian, 10 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 10 until 11 a.m., on Friday, April 26, 2024 at State College Assembly of God, 2201 University Drive, State College. Memorial service will follow at 11 a.m., at the church, with the Reverend Steve Silliman officiating. 

Burial will be private. 

In lieu of flowers please send donations to New Life Assembly of God – www.NLA.today/give in memory of George and Marjorie Holland or to any organization that helps formerly incarcerated persons.