Biography
Marie, the baby of the Horton family, was born in 1942 to Tom and Alice. She was the 5th child and fiercely protected. Marie was a biochemistry graduate student at Salem University.

She was engaged to a wealthy Rick Butler who eventually called off the wedding. About a year later, she met and became engaged to wed neighbor Tony Merritt who was a teacher. They planned on a Thanksgiving wedding. Addie (Marie’s sister), berated Marie for choosing Tony over Rick. She was jealous of Marie’s friendship with her daughter Julie.

Unfortunately, for Marie, Tony was ill with a blood disease and instead of telling her, he kept it to himself and broke off the engagement. Marie fell into a deep depression and nearly killed herself when she overdosed on sleeping pills. While recovering she found that she had developed feelings for Tony’s father, Craig Merritt. She felt a level of comfort with him that she had not felt in previous relationships. They eventually married. Tony returned to Salem causing tension between Marie and him. She miscarried her first child with Craig. Soon after, Craig realized that his son and Marie were still in love – so he wished them well and took a job overseas.

Things with Tony never panned out. In 1967, Marie began working for Dr. Mark Brooks as his research assistant. Again, she felt a level of comfort with him that she only had felt with Craig. Marie’s family was not too happy about her choice in men. In addition, Tom and Alice felt that Mark was really their missing son, Tommy that would be a serious problem because it would make him Marie’s brother. Tommy had been in Korea and had been listed as MIA. Tom and Mickey did some investigating and through a fingerprint check, discovered that Mark really was Tommy.

This being the case, Marie was once again devastated and decided to become a medical missionary in Africa. Some time later, she moved to New York where she led a fast life of sex and drugs. While living in NY, she met a man named Alex Marshall. Alex led a seedy life. He murdered his own brother and Marie became pregnant with Alex’s child.

She joined a convert where she gave birth to a daughter, Angelique, and gave her up for adoption in Montreal. After about three years, she returned to Salem as a nun and stayed until 1973.

She returned to Salem to help Tom after he suffered a stroke and again to counsel Laura, Bill’s wife, with her emotional problems. While there, she realized an evil man from her past, Alex Marshall, had arrived in town. Seeing Alex spawned her to remember her life with him and of their daughter. She sought out her whereabouts, but was unsuccessful.

In the meantime, Marie met a young girl named Cathy Breton. Cathy remaindered her of her own self and wanting to shelter her from a path of self-destruction, she asked Mickey and Maggie to take care of her. Cathy expressed interest in becoming a nurse but she was not a quick student so Marie sent her to study with a professor in Chicago. While there, Cathy decided not to return to Salem. Marie was devastated at losing such a special girl.

Part 2