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Marcella “Marc” Watson (1918 – 2009)
It is with great sadness that we report that Marc Watson passed away on June 9, 2009. She was one of the original members of the Flagg Foundation when it formed in 1962 and remained active in the Foundation until very recently. She was born in Sacramento, California on August 25, 1918 and spent her early years on the family cattle ranches in the Clarksville and Lake Tahoe areas of California. She loved to ride horses and participated in cattle drives and rodeos as a girl. Marc’s love affair with Arizona began more than seventy years ago when she moved here. She was an ardent collector of many things such as Santa Clauses, roadrunners, bells, nativity sets, cowboy art, and many other things. Of course we all know her because of her interest in minerals. Marc started to collect minerals in the 1950s. She had early contact with Arthur Flagg and he encouraged her to join the Mineralogical Society of Arizona. She was a past president and board member of the MSA. When Arthur Flagg died and the Flagg Foundation was formed she became active in that organization. Over the years she was secretary and board member of the Flagg Foundation and its continuation as the Arizona Mineral and Mining Museum Foundation. She and Ed Flagg kept the Flagg Show in January going for many years, sometimes only the two of them doing most of the work. Marc was a 4-H Club leader for most of her years in Arizona. Most famously she had Les Presmyk and Wayne Thompson in one of her 4-H groups. They have both contributed in many ways to the hobby of mineral collecting. |
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Marc’s interest in minerals covered the range from cabinet specimens to micromounts, but she is best known for her interest in quartz. She had an extensive collection of quartz, especially quartz from Arizona. She was one of the first people to recognize the unusual c-face quartz from Four Peaks. In 1999 Marc was awarded the first A.L. Flagg Distinguished Service Award for her long service to the Foundation. She was always generous with her time and her minerals, and will be greatly missed. (This information is from an obituary written by Marc’s daughter Leslie Albin and an article about Marc by Genie Howell in our newsletter volume 8, number 3, Spring 1999.) |