Marilyn's father, Thor, assisted in the European recovery after World War II.  This is a copy of the return passenger list for the family when they came back to the US in 1949.

Memorial Service Bulletin

For the family and friends who could not attend

Front and back of the memorial service bulletin

Inside of the memorial service bulletin

Marilyn - a beginning biography

Marilyn Gloria Mørk was born November 10,  1934 in Minnesota to Thorbjorn Mørk, a Norwegian immigrant and Martha Ingebritson, a descendant of Norwegian immigrants.  The eldest of 10 children, she helped her mother care for the younger ones.

She moved with her family's peripatetic wanderings which included post-War Germany where her father was working for the US government, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington.

She met and married William Wesley Pilcher in the early 1950s.  They had three children, James, Mary Linda, and Carl.  The relationship with Willie was difficult.  They divorced, remarried, and divorced again before moving on in other directions.

She became ill in the early 1960s with a pair of chronic and systemic problems that would plague her, challenge her, and drive her to achieve for the rest of her life.   The diagnoses were not easy.  Mixed up symptoms from systemic lupus and diabetes caused doctors to give her no idea as to what was wrong and a death sentence.  Decades later, when she met up with and shocked one of her doctors from the 60s.  He was certain that she had died years earlier.


Marilyn has always been an artist, her life experiences and the images drawn from deep inside driving the personal pieces that reflect her sense of self and self-image and of those around her, her commercial work filled with love, beauty and wonderment, and religious pieces, tapestry and embroidery work showing her deep devotion to her faith.

During her life, she ran a bookstore, an art gallery, a Portland Saturday market booth, and a framing business.

Marilyn died June 22, 2012 in the early evening after prolonged illness.  She was preceded in death by her daughter, Mary Linda, her younger son, Carl, her ex-husband, Willie, and five younger brothers and sisters.

She is survived by her older son and his wife, Jim and Linda, her grandson, Albert, her sisters, Char and Romy, and brothers Thom and Jay.

Next bio:  Marilyn and the Triptych.  We will include pictures of her most controversial work from the 1950s.

Marilyn as Coatlique

One of Marilyn's self-portraits -Cosmic Woman displays the artist as Coatlique, the Aztec Mother of the Gods, whose name means 'skirt of serpents.' 

Memorial Service Update

I visited with Pastor Kelle from St. Paul's yesterday. She was very helpful and supportive.  We had a wonderful talk. 

Exquisite stained glass windows light up the nave with their bright jewel tones.  Up at the front and to the left is a smaller room, with a huge round stained glass window from their original building.  From 1910, this window features a large figure of Jesus in the center surrounded by a circle of white flowers in a golden background.  Quite extraordinary.

I hope you are able to come to Marilyn's memorial service at 2 p.m at St. Paul. (3880 SE Brooklyn, Portland).  It's just off Cesar Chavez, formerly 39th, between Powell and Division.

 I just happen to like this photograph.  It's from her 1965 University of Illinois student ID from. 

Celebrating Marilyn's Life

Marilyn's family encourages all that knew her to contribute your recollections and stories.  If you have pictures to add or something that you want to share in a blog entry, feel free to email lightandfibers{at}gmail{dot}com.  Replace the items in the '{}' with the appropriate symbols.

We would love to have you attend her service on Saturday at 2 PM at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Portland.  It's at 3880 SW Brooklyn.