Marian Anders Presler

Class of 1932 – A life of service

Marion Anders Presler was part of a family legacy of Anders and Hargrave relatives at Ripon College, and she led a life of devoted prayer and service.

She was born April 12, 1911, in Fargo, North Dakota. At Ripon, she majored in history and the classics, including Latin and Greek. She participated in Women’s Glee Club, YWCA, Scribbler, Alpha Chi Alpha, and music, and served as vice president of Delta Phi Sigma.

She received a master’s degree in psychology of religion from the Oberlin Graduate School of Theology.

She and her husband, the Rev. Henry Hughes Presler, served the United Methodist Board of Missions in India from 1937 to 1972, primarily on the faculty of Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur, MP, India.

A pianist and organist, Presler directed choirs in India and the United States. She was a water colorist, was interested in world missions, and was drawn to a life of prayer.

She received Ripon’s Distinguished Alumni Citation in 1983, and she died Feb. 6, 2005, at age 93.

Several extended family members are Ripon College alumni, including her father, Congressional Medal of Honor winner Frank LaFayette Anders, Class of 1906; and her brother, Franklin Oliver Anders, Class of 1936.