J Mark Werner

Mark was born September 13, 1944 in Hardtner, Kansas, the only child of Arthur and Mary Werner. Mark's dad was a minister, and his mother was a homemaker. Mark lived in Hardtner, Kansas and also Loyal, Oklahoma as a young boy, where his father served several churches. When his father took the pastorate at Friedens United Church of Christ in Bern, Kansas, the family moved to northeastern Kansas where he lived during his junior high and high school years. While living there, he spent a great deal of time working on a neighbor's ranch, Angus Acres, where he learned to love the ranching life, Angus cattle, horses, and all things having to do with the Western life.

After high school, he attended McPherson College, in McPherson, Kansas, where, at the beginning of his junior year, he met a freshman student, a Minnesota farm girl named Jeanne Schrock, who would eventually become his wife. Mark graduated in 1966 with a degree in sociology and criminology. After college graduation, he attended Bethany Theological Seminary in Oak Brook, Illinois, near Chicago, planning to follow in his father's footsteps as a pastor. Mark and Jeanne were married June 16, 1967 at the Root River Church of the Brethren, in the rural Preston, Minnesota area where Jeanne grew up. After a year and a half of seminary education, Mark decided he wasn't interested in pursuing the pastoral ministry after all, and he changed his career focus to social work. Mark and Jeanne moved to South Bend, Indiana, where he worked for the Welfare Dept. and Jeanne taught elementary school. After 2 1/2 years in South Bend, Mark and Jeanne made the decision to move to Colorado, a place they had loved ever since they first visited in 1966 while attending a YMCA Conference at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park.

The move to Colorado was made in May 1971, and the couple stayed with friends in Greeley until they found a job in Longmont. In July 1971 Mark and Jeanne became the house parents for the newly established Attention Home of the St. Vrain Valley. It was a home for troubled youth who were assigned to the home by the Juvenile Court system, where they received "attention", rather than "detention". In January 1973 Mark was offered a full-time position as a probation officer with the 20th Judicial District in Boulder, a position he held for 31 years, retiring from there in 2003. During those years of working in a very challenging job, Mark always had a deep commitment to serving others, in the hope that he could make a positive difference in the lives of his probationers. One of the greatest joys of working throughout all those years was the wonderful friendships he forged with his co-workers; that friendship continued even after his retirement, through on-going communication shared among the "golden oldies"!

Shortly after Mark began working for the 20th Judicial District, twin daughters, Melanie Suzanne and Amy Joanne, were born on March 19, 1973; Mark, having been an only child, was thrilled to become a father to 2 children all at once! 4 years later on January 16, 1977 another daughter, Karen Elisabeth, joined their family. Mark was always extremely proud of his girls, showering them with love and attention, nurturing them, and participating in all their activities. He always had pet names for his girls: Jeanne was Missy, Melanie was City Missy, Amy was Country Missy, and Karen was Little Missy. Each knew she was loved by him in her own special way. He loved listening to their stories, but would say, “I can't listen as fast as you girls can talk!" How proud he was of the beautiful, loving women his daughters became.

After Mark's retirement in 2003, he began volunteering at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, and discovered how much he loved working with the horses, helping with the riding classes, and getting to know the many people involved at the riding center. He was selected as the Volunteer of the Year in 2007, an honor he cherished. He also spent several summers working for the City of Longmont Forestry Department, driving the water truck, watering trees around Longmont. Any time spent driving a big truck was fun for Mark, and he enjoyed being a part of helping his community be a more beautiful place.

It was a great joy for Mark when his grandchildren began arriving, expanding the family with the next generation. He loved being Opa to all his 8 grandchildren, 7 granddaughters and 1 grandson. He was always a loving, devoted, caring and compassionate man, husband, father, and Opa. He had a kind, sensitive nature and a big heart, always ready to help anyone who needed anything.

Mark was always a cowboy, loving his first pair of cowboy boots he received at age 5, and enjoying anything to do with the ranching life, Angus cattle, riding horses, and living by the Cowboy Code. He loved fly fishing, hunting, camping, snowmobiling, playing softball, watching the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies games, swimming, shooting pool, driving his pick-up, and spending time in the mountains, especially in Grand Lake at the condo. Mark had a great love for his church all his life, having attended faithfully and served on many boards at Central Presbyterian Church for years, and most recently became a part of the church family at Longs Peak United Methodist Church. He lived his life as a good and faithful servant to others.

Life became more difficult when Mark was diagnosed with unspecified dementia in January 2014. He was able to stay at home for nearly 6 more years, with the support of his family, friends, and by being able to attend The Day Place for adult day care in the afternoons from 2017-2019, providing stimulation for him and respite for Jeanne. However, in November 2019 it became necessary to move Mark to a skilled nursing facility, where he lived until the time of his death.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Mary Werner, and his father-in-law, Jim Schrock, and mother-in-law, Fern Schrock.

Mark is survived by his wife Jeanne of Longmont, daughter Melanie Zanini and her fiance Bill Donovan, granddaughters Kylie, Lindsay, and Whitney, of Firestone, Colorado; daughter Amy Troudt and her husband Nolan Troudt, of New Raymer, Colorado, granddaughter Meghan Scott of Fort Morgan, Colorado, granddaughter Ashley Garetson (her husband Jared Garetson) of Manhattan, Kansas, step grandsons Luke, Levi, and Tyler Troudt of New Raymer, Colorado; and daughter Karen Beldon and her husband Jay Beldon, granddaughter Lacey, grandson Porter, and granddaughter Alyssa, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. He is also survived by his brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-laws, Roger and Carolyn Schrock of McPherson, Kansas, Jerry and Lana Schrock of Adel, Iowa, Denny and Patrick Phillips- Schrock of Urbandale, Iowa, Jan and Harold Beach of Leonard, Missouri, and Jo and Dave Bernau of West Bend, Iowa, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be no memorial service at this time, but a celebration of Mark's life will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Longs Peak United Methodist Church, The Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association, or Alzheimer’s' Disease Research. Please visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to leave a message for the family.