RAPID CITY- A heroic journey of 84 years has ended, a partnership of 60 years has sundered. Marjorie Louise Soli, daughter of Margaret and Joshua Cox, wife of Allan M. Soli, mother of Bob, Bryan, Kathleen and Kristina, her eight grandchildren, great-grandmother of Elsa and friend to her friends, passed away Friday, October 18, 2013 at her home surrounded by family. A young girl's heart, savaged by a rheumatic fever infection survived with enough strength to carry Marj through and beyond the expectation of the doctors who told her she would never be strong enough to have children. Her father was from West Virginia. Her mother came on a boat from Ireland when she was 19, back when "no Irish need apply" signs were common. Marj was born in Mullin, Nebraska and lived there until her family moved to Hot Springs when she was just about ready for elementary school. There her father worked many jobs, including things to do with racing horses and gold mining and baking pies and selling them door to door, but mostly as a cook at the Hot Spring's Veterans Hospital where many World War I veterans were residents. Her mother kept chickens in the yard. The rheumatic fever was nearly lethal. It laid Marj down and bed-ridden for months and weak for years after. This is when she spent many days of many years in the town's Carnegie-donated library. The small town was now not so small. Books opened to worlds beyond what she could see. In high school, she won top honors in administrative skills and worked at a Hot Springs bank for a time. In her twenties, she came upon Tennyson's poem, Ulysses, inspirational to her as she left home and struck out to Sioux Falls on her own: Come, my friends, Push off, and sitting in good order smite the sounding furrows; for my purpose holds to sail beyond the sunset, and the baths of all the western stars, until I die. I may be that the gulfs will wash us down: It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, and see the great Achilles, whom we knew though much is taken, much abides; and though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. She mentioned last week that this poem inspired her at the time, as she faced the big world away from her home town. She worked at Morrel's packing in Sioux Falls as an administrative assistant. It was there she decided to take flying lessons where she met her husband-to-be Allan Soli. They married in 1953, and lived in a small house together. They moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan when Allan was hired by North Central Airlines, where they lived until 1968. Mom talked often of the life-long friends she met there. She believed that learning to play bridge was a great way to meet people. Her skills at card playing became legendary among the far-reaching diaspora of the Soli clan. In 1968, she moved with her family to Lakeville, Minnesota where they lived until 1978 when they finally moved to Rapid City, South Dakota on Highway 44 up near Johnson's Siding. Allan retired not long after, and they spent much of the following years traveling to Morocco, France, Norway, Ireland, Korea, and across the US. Allan had a Cessna Cutlass RG they flew to many places in the US. They traveled via camper through Mexico and to Alaska and back. In later years, they enjoyed day trips to Deadwood in the Black Hills. Her last day, Thursday the 17th of October 2013 was spent with and among friends and family, full of antics, admonishments, information and the new exploits of a great-granddaughter. Her song ended that night, after a long struggle fighting back a long list of health problems. Brave to the end, many furrows remain soundly smitten. She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, Frances; and three brothers, Gerald, Robert and Bud. Marj is survived by her husband, Allan Soli, Rapid City; two sons: Bob (Johanna) Soli, Hunstville, AL; Bryan Soli, Minneapolis, MN; two daughters: Kathleen Soli, Rapid City; Kristina (Kevin) Slayden, St. George, UT; brother, Bill Cox, San Jose, CA; eight grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 21, 2013 at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at Calvary Lutheran Church with Rev. Dwight Stensgaard officiating. Interment will follow at the Evergreen Cemetery in Hot Springs. A memorial has been established for a memorial bench in memory of Marge at the Evergreen Cemetery.