Marilyn Davis, a longtime champion of Freedom’s Frontier and a dedicated ambassador for Humboldt, Kansas, has passed away. She was 94.
Cosmopolitan to the core, Marilyn was a world traveler and avid gardener, often returning from the Netherlands with shipments of tulip bulbs in tow. Despite those urbane sensibilities, Marilyn’s true passion was her adopted hometown of Humboldt.
During her time with the Humboldt Historic Preservation Alliance, Marilyn spearheaded several major initiatives. She led the creation of a mural at the city’s Orcutt Living History Museum with support from a Freedom’s Frontier interpretive grant, and she played a key role in developing Humboldt, Kansas: A Civil War Survivor, a self-guided tour of the city square now available as a digital FFNHA tour. She was also a regular presence at FFNHA partner meetings, where she championed historic preservation in Humboldt and across the region.
Marilyn joined FFNHA’s board of trustees in 2021.
For an official obituary and more information, visit this site.
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) builds awareness of struggles for freedom in western Missouri and eastern Kansas. Established by Congress in 2006, FFNHA covers a unique physical and cultural landscape across 41 counties and 31,000 square miles. It promotes three diverse, interwoven, and nationally significant stories: frontier settlement, the Missouri-Kansas Border War and Civil War, and enduring civil rights disputes. FFNHA inspires respect for multiple perspectives and empowers area residents to preserve and share these stories, achieving its goals through interpretation, preservation, conservation, and education for all residents and visitors. It is one of 62 federally recognized national heritage areas across the United States.