Marilyn Joyce Bristley Abel, a resident of Legacy Village of Jacksonville, was born to Helen Elizabeth Fuzesi and Calvin Wesley Bristley in Fremont, Ohio. Her mother was a homemaker, while her father was a Fuller Brush Company salesman. She attended Fremont Ross High School and, afterwards, took a job working in retail.

While there, she met a young man, Richard (Dick) Eugene Abel, from Indiana, who had come to Fostoria, Ohio, to make his home. Dick was a veteran of World War II, where he honorably served in the Tank Corps. This pair fell in love and married in Fremont at Grace Lutheran Church.

Not too long thereafter, they built—yes, they literally constructed a house with their own hands and those of friends—on a little street in Fostoria called Alma Drive, where they made a home together. The two first became three when Cynthia Kay (Cyndi) came along, then four when Richard (Ric) arrived. The four were close to extended family and spent weekends and summers traveling the U.S.

Dick and Marilyn were quite the parents and made sure their children were taught about their great home state of Ohio with many weekend trips to historic sites, as well as about their great home country, the United States. Included were the magnificent sites along the Atlantic that hosted the beginnings of a nation, such as Philadelphia and Boston; the Dells of Wisconsin, where the French met native traders; the Outer Banks of North Carolina; and long trips to visit much of what was then rural Florida. These thoughtful parents actively and passively created lifelong interests in their children. Parents cannot teach their children all things, but these were capable in teaching them to observe, to read, and to think creatively. Much of the teaching was by how Dick and Marilyn lived their lives.

Marilyn was active in the neighborhood, her church, Dick’s plumbing business, and as a contributor to school activities. She carefully attended to every detail of Cyndi and Ric’s development. Cyndi and Ric were raised in the Lutheran faith, and Marilyn was very instrumental in Cyndi’s involvement in Job’s Daughters, where she became an “honored queen.” Ric became a very talented musician, participating in local bands, including one called “Free Beer.” The family was rightly fond of their Ohio State University and were delighted that Cyndi was accepted to and later graduated from that prestigious educational institution. Marilyn and Dick were hosts to neighborhood cookouts, backyard campouts for children, and late evening games for families.

Marilyn delighted in using her hands to work. In summers, she gardened and shared flowers with others in the neighborhood. As a girl, she learned to sew, knit, and crochet, among other techniques. She made nearly all of her daughter’s clothes, including her prom dresses. Among treasures collected over the years by daughter Cyndi are some special sweaters, blankets, and Christmas stockings, each knitted with names for every family member.

As with nearly all families, tragedy began to hammer away at their ties. During an incident at home, Ric lost sight in one of his eyes due to a playtime accident, while many years later, Dick began to suffer from serious heart problems. A trip to Cleveland Clinic provided a new kind of treatment they called “open heart surgery,” which added years to Dick’s life. Dick and Marilyn continued their loving relationship until Dick was in his early 50s, when, finally, he was taken by a heart attack.

The deep attachment between Dick and Marilyn could have been devastating, but Marilyn found a way to land a job, make friends, keep working in her church, and stay close to her children. She also lost her son, Ric, who suffered from a pair of aneurysms.

Later on, her grandchildren Laura Leigh and Jordan Elizabeth became objects of her love. They lived 500 miles south of Marilyn, but she made it to nearly every Christmas celebration, two high school commencements, four college graduations, and two weddings. She paid careful and close attention to their lives, as well as to that of their mother, Cyndi. She never forgot a birthday, a rite of passage such as graduation, and regularly sent notes to her granddaughters Laura Leigh and Jordan Elizabeth. Her home was a photographic montage of how little girls grew into women.

Anyone who has spent time with Marilyn knows that she has a very active mind. She has worn out many sets of playing cards, and one of her grandchildren’s “stocking stuffers” was likely to be a set of playing cards. She loved almost all card games and took time to teach her grandchildren how to play. A problem is that Marilyn has always taken cutting into a deck as a prelude to something more weighty than a “game,” and playing bridge has always been more serious than most activities. A hint to any who dare to play: Marilyn loves to win.



Marilyn is now in her late 90s and still is very much the same person—active with cards and games with others (and still plays to win), and she loves to fit together puzzles of all sorts. She has come to appreciate more time with Cyndi and more frequent time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She delights in watching them play and learn how to build things using their hands. We believe she sees some of herself in their love for games and for family. Marilyn’s love and tenacity of spirit are deeply admired by her family and are exemplary of how to stay true to faith and love for family. Marilyn is a gem moved down from northern Ohio, and we’re grateful she chose Legacy Village to call home.