Marcia Laing Golden, 80, of Goodland, KS died on Sunday, January 29, 2023 at Goodland Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 11am at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, followed by a memorial service at Goodland Cemetery. Visiting will be held on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, 5-7 PM MT at the Koons-Russell Funeral Home.
Marcia was born on September 11, 1942 in Topeka, KS and was the daughter of Herbert Farnsworth and Augusta Marshall Laing. Marcia lei graduated from St. Mary’s College Preparatory School in Fairbault, MN in 1959. she continued her education at Mills College in Oakland, California.
In 1963, Marcia met Kansas State Representative John Golden and they married on June 1, 1963 in Topeka and made their home in Sherman County where they raised three children. They have been married 57 years. With her husband, Marcia owned and operated Golden Wheat Ranch, Golden Farms and Ad Astra Per Aspera, LLC.
In the 1970s, Marcia owned the La Boutique clothing store in Goodland, KS. In the 1980s, he worked to improve the cultural arts in Northwest Kansas: first working with Unified School District #352 on the development of their foreign language program and arts education task force, then working with the Goodland Arts Council to lead the founding and development of the Goodland Carnegie Arts Center, which included the renovation of the Carnegie Library into the Goodland Arts Center.
His work included a major fundraising and membership campaign to raise money to renovate the National Register of Historic Places Library building, where he led the design and construction committee. Marcia served as former president and interim executive director.
Marcia was on the board and former president of the Association of Community Arts Agencies in Kansas. (ACAAK), a non-profit organization that promotes excellence in the arts for the benefit of the people of Kansas. Governor John Carlin has appointed Marcia to the Board of Advisors of the Kansas Arts Commission which works to provide grants to communities, artists, non-profit organizations and government agencies in support of the arts in Kansas. Governor Mike Hayden appointed Marcia to the governor’s Kansas State Council on the Arts, and Marcia served on the University of Kansas School of Fine Arts Board of Advisors.
In 1990, Marcia was appointed by President Bush to the National Endowment of the Arts, where she served on an independent commission to review and develop procedures and standards for publicly funded art. She has also served on the board of directors of the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies providing policy, technical assistance, representation and advocacy.
Marcia worked with area farmers, ranchers, and businessmen to form the non-profit group, Sunflowers USA, to produce Project Van Gogh, which was a large-scale easel featuring Canadian artist’s Van Gogh Sunflower replica Cameron Cross, now a major tourist attraction in Northwest Kansas.
Marcia has attended Leadership Kansas, the Goodland Chamber of Commerce, the Sherman County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sherman County Economics Committee, received the Goodland Community Service Award and the Goodland Ambassador’s Outstanding Achievement Award.
Marcia’s passions were cultural arts, cooking and entertainment. She regularly hosted political and philanthropic events. She spent many years serving as a softball coach and was involved with the Sherman County Recreation Commission. Marcia was a member of PEO Chapter Z and a founding member of Chapter ID. Marcia was a member of the Episcopal Church of St. Paul.
Marcia’s surviving family includes daughter Margaret Golden Bowker (Jeff), Lake Quivira, KS; daughter Gennifer Golden House, Goodland, KS; and son Richard Reed Golden (Kara), Lenexa, KS. Her grandchildren include Reed Addison Bowker, Claire Golden Bowker, Elizabeth Laing House, Andrew Atchley House, Taylor Marie Golden and Lauryn Reed Golden. Marcia was preceded in her death by her husband John Hollister Golden, her father Herbert Farnsworth Laing, her mother Augusta Marshall Laing and son-in-law Andrew Bret House.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to the Goodland Carnegie Arts Center; the Goodland Regional Medical Foundation; or to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and may be left at services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.
Online condolences to the family can be left at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.
Services were given to the Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland, KS.
