On Monday, March 15, 2021, Earl Leland Marcellus, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, went to be with his Lord and Risen Savior, Jesus Christ, on the day of his 77th birthday. He was surrounded by his family at his home in Plain, WA, just the way he wanted it to be.
Earl was born on March 15, 1944, to Elmer “Leland” Marcellus and Sophie (Wansick) Marcellus in Schaghticoke, NY. Earl, a patriot and third generation lumberjack, born and raised in the Adirondack mountains, followed the family tradition of logging and competing in the logging sports. Countless hours were spent by him filing a crosscut saw to get that perfect point. Years of study at Paul Smith, Syracuse, Yale, and the University of Washington, gave Earl a broad knowledge of forestry practice.
Earl won his first championship at the age of 13. The records grew with the years. He won numerous championships, including the North American Springboard Championship, World’s Underhand Chopping Championship, the World’s Doublebucking Championship, and the World’s Championship Axe Throwing. In 1972, he and his brother set a new World Doublebucking record, sawing a 30 inch log in 34.8 seconds. He won numerous top all-around titles including 1975 World’s Top Logger.
Earl was unrelenting in his goals to chop and saw among the best and it was no accident that he was chosen to represent the United States in lumberjack competitions such as the Australian Centennial Chopping Tour and as captain and team member of the International Lumberjack Relay Championships.
Earl met his first love, Linda (Burgess) Marcellus, through mutual friends, Arden and Bobbie Corey. They married on September 18, 1971, in the Leavenworth, WA, Methodist Church. In 1971, Earl and his wife performed their first Lumberjack Show at the Seattle Center. That was the beginning of the International Lumberjack Shows, a business that took them to the 1974 Spokane World’s Fair, three trips to Japan, one to Mexico, and two month contracts at Disneyland in 1987 and 1988. They performed at hundreds of sport shows, conventions, and fairs throughout the United States. The most notable fair was the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, WA, where Earl and crew performed the show for 38 consecutive years. His exciting hobby steadily turned into shows he produced and performed in, while maintaining his professional career in forestry.
Earl’s passion was rooted in the woods, but when God called him to stand in the gap between we, the American people, and the politician, he took the calling to heart. He approached serving as Chelan County Commissioner with the same vigor as he did with all his endeavors in life. Earl was an elected representative of the people. He stood for our Constitutionally protected Rights as Americans. He took an active stand to bring back common sense and truth to this great land. He was humbly aware that with each choice we are writing our own signature on the face of this great land – whether written with a pen or an axe and always with a common goal: freedom.
Earl’s life was full of incredible endeavours, but his biggest accomplishment was raising his five beautiful children. He lost his first wife, in 2001, to cancer and Earl did a phenomenal job being a single father. His children truly are his pride and joy.
In 2007, Earl met the love of his second youth, Julie (Mabie) Marcellus through mutual friends. They married on May 24, 2008, in Plain, WA, and were blessed to spend over a decade together making memories in Plain, taking trips to Sun City, AZ, New York, and spending time in Julie’s home town of Watsonville, CA. They enjoyed a quiet, peaceful life with extensive time shared with the children, grandchildren, and extended family at holidays, birthdays, reunions, and many other family gatherings.
When Earl was diagnosed with late stage cancer, in 2017, he turned his prognosis into a way of witnessing to everyone he would talk to about the love and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. He wanted to make sure that everyone he met had the chance to learn about our Lord and Savior.
He will be greatly missed, but the born again believer can be comforted with the knowledge that there will be a reunion with him that will never end. Praise God for sending Jesus to pay the ultimate price for our eternal security.
Earl is survived by his loving wife, Julie, of the family home; daughter, Jennifer Marcellus of Ellensburg, WA; son, Jared Marcellus and daughter-in-law, Janelle, grandsons: Luke and Jacob of Cheney, WA; daughter, Joylyn Schneider and son-in-law, Duke, grandchildren: Elianna, Samuel, Isabel, and James of Ellensburg, WA; daughter, Jessica Karraker and son-in-law, Mike of Ellensburg, WA; daughter, Jaclyn Marcellus-Singh and son-in-law, Suramrit Singh of Kirkland, WA; brother, Alvie and sister-in-law, Phyllis Marcellus of Spokane, WA; siblings by choice: Davey McNulty of Malta, NY, and Rich and Cindy “Ders” Cram of Leavenworth, WA; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A Celebration of Life for Earl Leland Marcellus will be conducted at 1:00 p.m., on Saturday, April 10, 2021, at the Grace City Church, 277 Melody Ln., Wenatchee, WA, with Pastor Dan Kellogg officiating. A private inurnment will be held in the Haven of Rest Cemetery in Plain, WA, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his name to Compass International, compass.org, Lighthouse Ministries, 410 S. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, WA, 98801, or the National Rifle Association, home.nra.org. Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee, WA, is in charge of the arrangements.