Marjorie Finlay

Marjorie (Moehlenkamp) Finlay was born to Elmer Henry (1897-1972) and Cora Lee (1900-1962) (Morrow) Moehlenkamp and had a sister Virginia Humphrey (1924-2005). In the 1930 census, when Marjorie was one year old, she was living with her grandparents Henry J. (age 72) and Emma (age 66) Moehlenkamp. Also in the St. Louis Missouri household were her parents and Martin (age 35), Irene (age 35), Ruth (age 16), and Virginia (age 5) Moehlenkamp. Marjorie married Robert Bruce Finlay (1920 -2003) on March 22nd 1952 in Palm Beach Florida. Bruce was president of Raymond Construction Co. See Moehlenkamp, Finlay Wedding in South Mar. 22 for a copy of Marjorie and Bruce's wedding announcement which appeared in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in Missouri. Marjorie had a love and talent for music, especially singing, since an early age. She began her singing career while in high school at St. Charles High School in Saint Charles Missouri. Her first singing teacher was Miss Pearl Walker of Lindenwood College, who she studied under while attending high school, and who she continued studying with while attending Lindenwood. After college Marjorie's signing career really took off. An article in the January 13th 1962 edition of the St Louis Globe Democrat says that Marjorie, a native of St. Charles and former Lindenwood College student sang with the Christ Church Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys and the St. Louis Symphony at it's 3rd pop concert of the season. Marjorie was a soprano and sang 2 operatic arias: "Fanciulla Sbocciato d l'amore" (Puccini, "La Rondine") and the "Jewel Song" (Gounod's "Faust"), however, she also sang several popular songs. Marjorie toured after graduation with the "Music With the Girls' network radio show (as a soloist.), and was described in the paper as "the attractive soprano". After marrying her husband Robert, whose work took him to Havana, Puerto Rico, then to Caracas and back to Puerto Rico, Marjorie sang with symphony orchestras and in opera at each city. In San Juan, she had her own tv program called "El Show Pan-Americano". Musical talent (and beauty) obviously runs in the family as she is the grandmother of the famous singer Taylor Swift. Track 13 on Taylor Swifts' album released on December 11 2020 is titled "marjorie" - a song dedicated to and about her grandmother. Read the lyrics: Marjorie Lyrics - Taylor Swift - they embody what all of us feel when someone we love and admire passes and what AncientFaces is all about. Swift said about Marjorie "starring my grandmother, Marjorie, who still visits me sometimes . . . if only in my dreams." In the track, Swift honors her late grandmother, singing, "And if I didn't know better, I'd think you were talking to me now. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were still around." Grandma Marjorie died in June 2003 in Swift's hometown of Reading, PA, when Swift was 13 years old.