Marcellus Peter Wiesner was born on November 17, 1935 and entered into rest in the Lord's arms on October 13, 2023.

Marc was born in Ogallah, Kansas and his family later moved to Colorado. He graduated from Loveland High School in Loveland, Colorado.

He worked in construction for several years, working in 30 states. During that time, Marc climbed from 60 to 70 poles a day, bringing electricity to countless homes and businesses.

Marc says he worked in Leadville, Colorado, where it was two miles in altitude and the winter temperatures would drop to 50 below. "The good news is, there was no wind so the weather was tolerable," he says with a smile. He also worked in the Florida swamps, where alligators and snakes were plentiful; in Minnesota, where they had to fight the bogs; and in Arkansas, where he saw a lot of smoke plumes coming out of the woods. "I thought the smoke was coming from homes out in the woods, but I later found out it was actually coming from the stills that the moonshiners had set up," Marc says.

Marc went to work for Wilson Construction in the late 1950s. At that time, he also did some work on the Big Bend system from Ritzville to the Pasco area. When Block 17 was started, Marc says he thought he would like working for the co-op if a position opened up.

As luck would have it, Marc received a phone call in 1965 asking him if he would like to work for Big Bend. That was the start of his 32-year career at the co-op. He has lived in the Pasco area ever since.

Marc Wiesner spent 32 years working for Big Bend. His specialty was climbing power poles.

Marc relates a story that appeared in the July 1979 Ruralite as a highlight to his work at Big Bend. A 5.5-mile pole and line upgrade was needed in the Snake River area, about 35 miles northeast of Pasco. The terrain was rough and much of the access was only by horseback.

Since Marc raised horses for competition, he was happy to do that job. "That may have been the most enjoyable job I ever did for the co-op," says Marc. "I got to ride my horse each day, and I got paid for my work and for my horse's work, too."

Marc laughs and says "payday was what he liked best about working for Big Bend Electric Co-op, but adds, "I worked with a great bunch of guys who knew how to work together to get the job done right."

Marc and his wife, Marian live on a 20-acre farm in Block 16, about six miles north of Pasco, which they have owned since 1992. The Wiesners enjoy the area because it's just enough in the country, but has the convenience of the city nearby.

On the little farm, Marc and Marian raise alfalfa and have pasture for about 20 head of cattle.

They have one horse, Pequino.

After breeding horses for many years and competing in keyhole games, Marc's days of competitive riding are over, but he still enjoys Pequino.

Marc has three grown children and Marian has four. Their children live in Phoenix, Ferndale, Richland, Yakima, Prosser, Mesa AZ and Medford, Oregon. They also have 12 grandchildren.

Besides his time as a "gentleman farmer" Marc likes to fish with his grandson, Caleb. They often go to the Snake or Columbia rivers and see who can out-fish the other. They look forward to those adventures.

Marc is an avid sports fan. He is a season ticket holder for the Tri-Cities Fever football team. He also enjoys watching the Dust Devils baseball team. "I used to play catcher on a few baseball teams, and I tell you that I just hated to see that runner on first try to steal second base," recalls Marc. "That's a long way to throw a baseball after being crouched behind the plate all game long. So I really feel for those poor catchers. They've got a tough job."

Marc knows many Big Bend members he helped those many years at the co-op, who appreciated his great service. "I would sometimes get a call from a neighbor who would tell me his power was out," he says. "I'd scoot over there and in five minutes their lights were shining again. Marian also fielded calls in the middle of the night until the power came back on."

Since his retirement from Big Bend Electric, Marc has attended the co-op's annual meetings. "I enjoy going to the meetings and visiting with the members and employees I used to work with, as well as the new ones," he says. "It's good to be a part of the co-op." Big Bend Electric Co-op appreciates the service provided by linemen like Marc. The co-op is a strong consumer-owned utility that is proud of the service it gives to its members.

This was an interview Marcellus did with Ruralite magazine in 2008. Ruralite is the magazine for the Big Bend Rural Electric Company.

Hey Friends and Family-- Marcellus's Celebration of Life will be held at the Country Christian Church/Center located at 5500 W Sagemoor Rd, Pasco, WA on Saturday, October 21st from 12:00pm - 3 pm.

This is an informal celebration to honor a life that made this world a happier place to be. Feel free to bring something to share--photos, stories, remembrances, a little food or drink. Potluck style but you are not required to bring anything. We would love to see you there because Marc really loved all his friends and acquaintances.

If you have photos you would like to add to the slide show, send them to wiesner1@msn.com or send them to me (Brenda Wiesner) over Messenger. If you have a story that you don't want to stand up and tell, but would like to have read, send it to me. We know everybody has a few good Marc stories.

If you are coming from out of town, I do have a small furnished rental house open at the moment. When I say small, I do mean small. Contact me (Brenda Wiesner) if you need a place to crash.

Please share this post and pass along the word. That means, go ahead and hit the share button. If you have any questions or need anything, feel free to reach out to me here on Messenger, via email, or by phone or text. 509-430-2790