Altamonte Springs, Florida - Marjorie Yvonne Hockensmith was born to Wesley Howard "Bill" Hockensmith and Martha Ellen Terney Hockensmith on the third of February,1938 at St. Anthony's Hospital in Pendleton, OR. She had one brother, Robert, who passed away in 1951 at just 16 years of age - a victim of polio.

Marj was raised on a wheat ranch in Despain Gulch, just outside Pendleton proper. Though relatively isolated, she managed to keep herself occupied and happy in the manner that farm kids have for generations. She had chores, helped her parents, fought with her brother, roamed the land on horseback and bicycle, played in creeks, tried to throw balls over the barn, shared card and board games with her family, made paper dolls, swung on the tire swing, learned to sew and made clothes, went fishing and shooting, participated in 4-H, sang her way through the fields and read anything she could find. She also made mud pies but was discouraged when she discovered that adding real flour did not improve them.

Marj also developed a love of gardening and flowers. She grew beautiful gardens wherever she lived and created incredible flower arrangements and bouquets from both real and silk flowers. She loved having lots of color around and always filled her home with blooms.

She carried that artistic eye into cake decorating and photography. She created fantastic cakes of all shapes, sizes, and themes for family and friends' birthdays, anniversaries, and even weddings.

Her photography skills won her several awards from fairs on both coasts. More importantly, she used those skills to document her many trips around the globe.

Marj loved to sing. She sang on the ranch playing in wheat fields, and in school plays. She sang in church choirs most of her life and often had soloes with the choir and with the Berkshire singers - a choral group in Connecticut.

Marj had a life-long love of reading and learning. She knew she wanted to be a teacher as a child. She loved getting lost in a book, being transported to far away places and becoming engrossed in the characters. Her appetite for reading served her well as she was one of three valedictorians of her 1956 graduating class from Pendleton High School.

Her family had moved to the north hill in town when Marj was in high school. She joined the 1st Presbyterian Church following her brother's death and liked attending the fellowship meetings and youth events. Her world opened up some with the move to town but it was not enough for Marj.

She continued her education at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) She was a Delta Zeta girl and enjoyed having so many sisters. In 1960, she graduated with a degree in Teaching and a desire to travel the world. But first, she returned to Pendleton to teach 5th grade at the Lincoln School.

Marj spent time in Mexico living with a family and immersing herself in the culture. That experience encouraged her to take a Department of Defense job teaching school at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines during the Vietnam war. She met and married Major Tom Rogenski, a C-130 Command Pilot, widower and father of two - Thomas (Tommy) and Randa. In 1967, the couple returned to the states and the family was reunited in Virginia. Tanya was born there at Langley Air Force Base in 1968 and Tom retired in 1969. The family moved to Tom's home state of Connecticut. Julia (Julie) was born at Westover Air Force Base in 1971.

In 1979, Tom moved Marj, Tanya and Julie to Melbourne, Florida. Marj began substitute teaching at a nearby elementary school. Tom was killed in 1983.

Now a single mother of two, Marj continued substitute teaching and spent time at Patrick Air Force Base, volunteering with The Retired Officer's Association, the newsletter and with a group that called themselves "The Merry Widows" (though her children called them the "Wild Widows!"),

It was during this time she met Jim Hoagland, a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel. They began a loving and fulfilling relationship that ended only when death did them part. Shortly after their wedding in August of 1986, the couple moved to Pendleton so Marj could take care of her aging parents. They brought with them Julie and later, Jim's two daughters, Jeannine and Angela.

By 1991 the girls were out on their own and both of Marj's parents had passed. She and Jim chose to remain in town having gotten involved with the church, the PGG coffee klatch, the symphony, and tending their house and garden on the North Hill. They traveled extensively to visit kids and grandkids in California, Connecticut, Virginia and Florida. The two also made their way around the globe.

Though Marj lost Jim in 2000, she continued seeking adventure with various travel partners - her cousin Audney Cosand, Alberta Hoagland, Lorna Waltz, and Paula Turner. She traveled to Germany (again!) and Poland with her daughter Tanya, but it was with her daughter Julie that she undertook some of her most exciting adventures. From Mexico and Costa Rica to weeks in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, to climbing Machu Picchu and exploring Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, mother and daughter racked up sky miles and incredible memories. All told, Marj visited about 100 different countries and thoroughly explored the United States, collecting dolls representing the culture of each place as she went. One of her last trips was in 2018, an epic drive with Julie that finally completed her 50-states checklist.

Throughout all her travels and experiences, Marj remained immensely proud to be the daughter of an Oregon wheat farmer and a native Pendleton girl. She lived many places but her heart was always with the town and her church. Marj and Jim were regular attendees at 1st Presbyterian. They volunteered their time to church endeavors- Marj sang with the choir, helped with- and often decorated for - soup suppers and other events. She was deeply involved in Presbyterian Women, Circle, and other groups and watched the Sunday service on the internet over the last few years.

In 2015, Julie returned to Pendleton to care for Marj as her Alzheimer's began to progress. In 2019, they moved to Florida to be closer to more family. Sadly, Marj was unable to return to Oregon in the years since. However, the family takes comfort in knowing that Marj - farm girl, fisherwoman, sharpshooter, gardener, artist, singer, teacher, world traveler, mother, stepmother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, niece, daughter and wife - will be resting peacefully with her parents and Jim in her beloved hometown.