Marion E. (Cook) Lozen was born on November 12, 1926, in Okemos, Michigan, the third of seven children born to Chester and Mary (McDonald) Cook. She grew up on the family farm in Okemos before the family relocated to St. Johns. Around 1943, Chester and Mary made a pivotal decision to move "downstate" to the Romulus and Westland area, where Chester found work at the historic Willow Run Bomber Plant - a move that would shape the course of Marion's life in ways no one could have imagined.

It was in that new neighborhood that fate intervened. The family's neighbors across the street had a nephew - a young man named Bernard Lozen - and before long, Marion and Bernard were inseparable. The two were married in July of 1944 in Denver, Colorado, while Bernard was serving in the United States military. Their daughter, Judy, arrived in 1945, and when Bernard was honorably discharged, the young family settled in the Village of Wayne, where Bernard began his career at Ford Motor Company.

Marion devoted herself to her home and family, serving as a homemaker, Sunday school teacher, and co-leader of Judy's Brownie troop. Then one day, she noticed that Kroger was building a new store just a mile from their home. She approached Bernard with a modest proposal: she'd apply for a job there to help pay for a new refrigerator. She had hoped to be a cashier, but the available opening was in the meat department - and Marion, never one to shy away from a challenge, took the job. Minimum wage at the time was 75 cents an hour; they hired her at 80 cents. The plan was simple: she'd work outside the home for just a few years.

Those working years were also years of wonderful family adventures. Marion and Bernard embraced every opportunity to make memories with their four grandchildren, venturing to California, Florida, the Great Smoky Mountains, Niagara Falls, and the breathtaking Upper Peninsula of Michigan. With Marion and Bernard towing a travel trailer and daughter Judy's family bringing their tent trailer, the trips became cherished family traditions filled with campfire stories and open roads.

In 1989, Marion faced the profound loss of her beloved husband, Bernard. She continued living in the Wayne home they had shared since 1958 - a home filled with decades of love, laughter, and life.

In 1999, Marion's heart grew even fuller when she became a great-grandmother. She cherished every moment spent with the younger generations - watching the children splash in the pool, celebrating birthdays and holidays, and finding joy in any occasion that brought the family together. To her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she was simply irreplaceable.

And then there was Kroger. What began as a "few years" turned into one of the most remarkable careers anyone in the community had ever witnessed. Marion worked for Kroger for 64 years - becoming so beloved and recognized that she was known simply as "the Kroger Lady." She started at a store in Wayne, spent time at locations in Westland and Dearborn, and completed her career back at the Wayne store, which closed just before her retirement. She finally retired at the age of 89½, having given a lifetime of dedication, warmth, and hard work to her customers and colleagues. Marion was, in every sense, a testament to the dignity of a life well and fully lived.

Marion was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bernard; her parents, Chester and Mary (McDonald) Cook; her brothers, Lester (Irene), Donald (Nancy), and Richard (Erma); her sister, Betty Jane (Rudy) Dingus; and sisters-in-law Betty (Leo) and Agnes (Robert).

She is lovingly survived by her daughter, Judy (Mike) Hurley; grandchildren Chris (Kim), Steve (JoAnn), Jennifer (Rob) Chambers, and Kristin (Adam) Chiasson; great-grandchildren Julia (Patrick Tosh) Hurley, Maddie (Chris) Xenos, Jonah Hurley, Dominic Chiasson, Robby Chambers, Max Chiasson, and Stella Chiasson; brothers Leo (Patty) and Robert; and a wonderful circle of nieces, nephews, and cherished friends.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary Community Outreach Center, the National Children's Cancer Society, or a charity of your choice.