Marcella Hartley

Jun 1, 1929 -

Jun 13, 2022

Inga Marcella Vasanoja was born at her grandparents' farmhouse in Cromwell, Minn., the fifth child of Inga Helen and Lawrence Sulo Vasanoja.

In 1934 Marcella burned down the barn in a potato roasting mishap. After that lean winter, the Vasanojas joined the Matanuska Colony Project. Marcella grew up on the Springer System until the family left farming in 1945. She lived with the Burgans at Matanuska to finish her last two years at Palmer High, and worked summers at Soneke's cannery on Ship Creek.

The Vasanojas became friends with the Hartleys in 1935, when Anchorage welcomed the Colonists with a luncheon and car tours. The Hartleys volunteered to drive the Vasanojas to see if they looked as funny as their name sounded. Bob Hartley lived with them to attend Palmer High, and his brother Lee married Marcella's sister Maralyn. Bob returned from the Aleutians in 1946, and married Marcella in November 1947. They were together 61 years, making their home on Finger Lake in the "Little House" Bob built, and the "Big House," Bob's parents' home since 1945, built 1917. Their early years together were full of adventures flying, camping, hunting and fishing. In 1951, they drove a pair of Diamond T trucks up the Alcan at 40 below.

Marcella and Bob began setnet fishing on Kalgin Island in 1956. Fish camp was the ultimate family time over the decades, a special place anchored by Bob and Marcella's red cabin, where everyone on the beach squeezed in around the blue table after dinner telling jokes and stories.

Marcella attended Palmer Community College, taught preschool, then worked for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. She ran the Borough's first computer and retired from the purchasing department in 1984. Marcella and other "Colony Kids" organized the annual Colony reunion dinner for 30 years.

Marcella and Bob were loving parents to Kirk, Helen and Roberta, and were unofficial parents to other family and friends. Grandkids and great-grandkids loved to feast, nap, play and visit at her house.

She kept her sharp wit, pragmatism and independence to the end. Shortly after her 93rd birthday, Marcella arranged for an ambulance, walked out of her home of half a century, and died four days later with her house and papers meticulously in order.

Marcella was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, in 2008; and sisters, Dorothy Hildre and Maralyn Hartley.

She is survived by her son, Kirk Hartley and wife Toni of Finger Lake; daughter, Helen Hulbert and husband Ralph of Palmer; daughter, Roberta Swick and husband Alvin of Seldovia; grandkids, Bobby (Holly) and Kevin (Kaylee) Hartley, Ruth and Garth Hulbert, Keith (Jen), Jeff (Meghan), Griffin and Alexandria Swick; eight great-grandkids; Alfred Huff of Homer; numerous nieces and nephews; and older siblings, Larry Vasanoja and Pearl Jensen.

A memorial will be held after fishing season, at 2 p.m., on Sept. 5, 2022, at the Elks on Finger Lake.