Obituaries

Marilyn Vonderheide

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN Marilyn Vonderheide, 78, passed away on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, at her home on Lookout Mountain, in Georgia.She was born on May 11, 1935 in Underwood, N.D. to Otto and Alma Weber Kesselring.Marilyn grew up on a sprawling farm near Underwood, N.D., along with seven brothers and sisters. She graduated from Underwood High School in 1952. After high school she attended Highland College in Pasadena, Calif., for three years and transferred to Shelton College in Ringwood, N.J., where she received a BA degree in English. She later earned a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Iowa while singlehandedly raising four children, the youngest in kindergarten at the time.Marilyn embarked on a career as a librarian at Covenant College, a place she knew would offer her children brighter futures, including tuition-free college educations. She worked at Covenant for 13 years. Things were a bit financially challenging during those years, but her children never wanted for the important things: a mother who loved them and who never made them feel that her full-time job diminished her attention to each of them. She sought out good male role models for her boy, as well as people who could show her daughters what Christian men should be like and gave the children a warm, friendly community that supported them in those years. As her children became adults, she retired and took off for other parts. She later worked as a librarian at the Cedar Rapids Public Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for eight years. She retired in 1996.In 1984, Marilyn married Jerome Vonderheide in Agoura Hills, Calif., someone she had known since her childhood years. They were happily married for 29 years. After a good many years in the snowy Midwest, she and Jerry retired to Lookout Mountain, replacing parts as they wore out, enjoying the nearby children and grandchildren and great friendships at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, where Marilyn was a member. The kindness of the people of this church to Mom, particularly in the last two years of her life, is something that her children will not forget. She enjoyed reading books, going to movies, trips to England, Scotland and Japan with friends, one rappelling adventure on the side of Lookout Mountain and especially being with her friends, her grandchildren and children.Marilyn was preceded in death by her sister, Carol; her brother, Michael; and her parents.Marilyn is survived by her husband, Jerome, of Lookout Mountain; her son, Jeffrey (Lee) Slenker, of Memphis, Tenn. and her daughters, Judy Slenker of Chattanooga, Diane Burroughs of San Diego, Calif., and Bronwyn (Warren) McEwen, of Lookout Mountain, Ga.; her brothers, Donald Kesselring, of Belle Plaine, Minn., and Douglas Kesselring, of Fargo, N.D.; her sisters, Judy (Bruce) Fiol, of Charlotte, N.C., Marge Williams of Greenville, S.C., Beverly Singleton (James), of Colorado Springs, Colo.; her grandchildren, Adria Slenker Lovelace and Cory Burroughs of San Diego, Calif.; Mary Catherine, Bronwyn, Will and Jack McEwen, of Lookout Mountain, Ga.; her step children Lori Ferguson (Michael) of Vinton, IA, Lee Vonderheide (Jeannie) ,of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Rolf Vonderheide, of Jacksonville, Fla.; her nieces and nephews and other relatives.A memorial service will be held at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, 316 North Bragg Avenue, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350 at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 27, 2013. The family will be greeting friends and relatives for an hour prior to the service at the church.In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, 316 North Bragg Ave, Lookout Mountain, TN 37350.Condolences may be left on Marilyn Vonderheide's online guest book at www.heritagefh.com.On this occasion, as she has gone to be with the Lord, Marilyns husband and children want to express our deep love and gratitude for her.Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home and Crematory, Battlefield Parkway.

Published July 26, 2013

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