Kansas woman who housed Dutch military families for decades dead at 94

Dozens of Dutch military officers are mourning the death of Marjorie Howard, who died at the age of 94 on July 30th. For over 40 years Howard provided a home away from home for Dutch officers attending the Command and General Staff College in her home town of Leavenworth, Kansas, local newspaper Leavenworth Times reports. Howard rented her home to a Dutch officer and his family for the first time in 1967, starting a tradition that lasted the rest of her life. Her home eventually became known as the Dutch House. Colonel Marcel Buis attended Howard's funeral on behalf of the Netherlands Embassy in Washington. "Marjorie was truly a remarkable woman" Buis said. He described her as a surrogate grandmother to dozens of Dutch children and a friend to Dutch officers. "We all share the same wonderful memories of Marjorie Howard." In 2002 the Netherlands thanked Marjorie Howard for her hospitality and friendship to the Dutch military by presenting her with the Order of Orange-Nassau. This is one of the highest honors the Netherlands bestows and according to Buis, Howard was one of only three non-Dutch people to ever receive this honor. She was buried with the medal on her chest.