Celebrating her life of service, advocacy, and unwavering support during the town’s formative years.
Written by Devon Sloan, February 2024
We’ve all heard the saying, “Behind every good man, there is a woman”. In honor of Women’s History Month, and as a prelude to Oro Valley’s birthday next month, we are featuring Marjorie Kriegh, the woman who was “behind” the Father of Oro Valley, James D. Kriegh.
Marjorie Kriegh
Born in 1926 in Pennsylvania, she grew up with two sisters and a brother in Mentor, Ohio. Always considered the baby of the family (although not the youngest), she loved to dance and became a successful professional ballet and tap dancer.
She married her high school sweetheart, William “Bill” Rogers, and both were active in the Civil Air Patrol. Marjorie obtained the rank of major and served as an Aircraft Observer, Operations Officer, and Communications Officer during search and rescue missions. Bill served in combat during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart. He was a pilot for the Civil Air Patrol and became a Squadron Commander when the couple moved to Tucson in the 1950’s.
Bill and his observer were killed on May 14, 1959, in a plane crash while performing a Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue mission when his aircraft hit power lines near Ray, Arizona after he and his crew had located a missing aircraft. Marjorie was working the radio on that fateful day.
Jim Kriegh
In Tucson, the Rogers were living at an apartment complex where they built a close-knit group of friends. Among this group was James D. Kriegh, a fellow resident. Bill’s death was traumatic for Marjorie, and the friend group at the complex supported Marjorie tremendously and encouraged Jim and Marjorie’s friendship. That friendship grew over the years and ultimately, Jim and Marjorie were married in December 1961. The two purchased a home, started a family, and raised two children in what would become Oro Valley.
While working as a legal secretary at a local law firm, Marjorie was also an active crafter and a skilled seamstress making and decorating clothes. In addition, she was a full-time mom and very energetic homemaker. She actively supported her kids in dance (tap and ballet), Cub Scouts, Webelos, Brownies, and sports teams such as basketball, softball and baseball. She and Jim even sponsored and coached a little league team, “SAE” (Structural Adhesive and Engineering Company).
Marjorie was very active in the early incorporation efforts of the Town of Oro Valley. She was always positive in those efforts and put in long hours. She co-sponsored meetings with Jim, attended other meetings, helped build networks within the legal profession, and physically distributed information (letters and flyers – there was no internet back then!). The Town of Oro Valley keeps archives of the Town efforts during this time, most of them put together by the Town’s first and only Town Historian – Marjorie Kriegh.
Kriegh’s Fight for Oro Valley from the Beginning – – Daily Star April 26, 1984
Later Jim and Marjorie’s son, Kevin, became a private pilot in the early 1980’s. Marjorie reaffirmed her passion for aviation and her commitment to her family by being Kevin’s first passenger. Due in part to his mom’s passion, Kevin went on to become a professional pilot. And so, behind that successful pilot is also a woman! Celebrate Women’s History Month and remember Marjorie Kriegh for her full life and with thanks for her contribution to Oro Valley!
Visit our Oro Valley History page to explore the town’s origins—its naming, the beginnings of OVHS, and Marjorie K. Kriegh’s insightful article, “The Making of a Town.”