Marilyn Josephine Rodenbeck

Marilyn Josephine Rodenbeck, of Longmont CO, passed away into the arms of her loving Savior on the morning of April 26, 2026. Marilyn was born on June 20, 1939, to Oscar and Florence Woellhof in Clay Center KS. As a child on a farm, she loved having a pet cat. This love of cats continued all her life. Her family relocated to the front range of Colorado in the early 1950’s, and she graduated from Berthoud High School in 1957. Marilyn attended a business school after high school, and then worked at the corporate offices for the Great Western Sugar Company in Denver. While working in Denver, Marilyn met Roger Rodenbeck on a blind date. They were later married in 1961, and made their home in Boulder, where they raised their son, Kenneth. Marilyn took great pleasure in staying home to raise Kenneth. When he began junior high school, she returned to work in the accounting and tax preparation field. After Roger retired, they relocated to Longmont where they lived for more than 30 years. In Longmont, Marilyn worked for several years at Messiah Lutheran Church helping with accounting and tax preparation. She was active in Lutheran Women's Missionary League at the church, and participated in quilting, and annual cookie and candy sales in December.

Marilyn was a gifted seamstress, and she could sew just about anything. She loved designing and making clothes for herself and her family. Her nieces remember her sewing beautiful clothes for their Barbie dolls. She also made them dresses, and crocheted menageries of stuffed animals. Marilyn also excelled as a talented quilter and created many exquisite needlepoint pictures. Her creations adorn the beds and walls of many family members. Marilyn enjoyed hosting family gatherings. Her family loved when she brought them together for very special birthday and holiday lunches and dinners, especially if there was blueberry pie, and all served on beautifully decorated tables.

For most of her life, Marilyn was a devoted fan of the University of Colorado Buffalos football team, through both the good and not so good years. She loved music, and had a beautiful voice. For a while, she and Roger enjoyed playing with another couple in a blue grass quartet, even treating residents of local senior living centers to concerts where she played the bass guitar. Marilyn said her favorite places on Earth were Estes Park CO, and nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. She worked there several summers during and after high school. And throughout her life, she enjoyed packing a nice lunch, and heading Estes with family for a picnic, fishing, or a drive in the park. A frequent stop on these trips was a shop that sold her favorite saltwater taffy.

Marilyn was a most wonderful daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend, and we were blessed by her love. Marilyn is survived by her devoted and loving son, Kenneth, her sister, Sue (Woellhof) Veltri, four nieces, and five nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Florence Woellhof, her husband, Roger Rodenbeck, and her sister, Alice (Woellhof) Brewer.

A celebration of Marilyn's life will be held at 10:00 am on May 8, 2026, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 1335 Francis ST, Longmont CO. Internment was at Berthoud Greenlawn Cemetery, Berthoud CO.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Marilyn’s name may be made to the Longmont Meals on Wheels (longmontmeals.org) or Messiah Lutheran Church (messiahlongmont.org).