Vonderheide, Marilyn

Marilyn Vonderheide, 78, passed away Tuesday, July 23, 2013, at her home on Lookout Mountain in Georgia. She was born 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 single-handedly 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, Ga.; her son, Jeffrey Slenker (Lee) of Memphis, Tenn. and her daughters, Judy Slenker of Chattanooga, Tenn., Diane Burroughs of San Diego, Calif. and Bronwyn McEwen (Warren) of Lookout Mountain, Ga.; her brothers, Donald Kesselring of Belle Plaine, Minn. and Douglas Kesselring of Fargo, N.D.; her sisters, Judy Fiol (Bruce) of Charlotte, N.C., Marge Williams of Greenville, S.C. and Beverly Singleton (James) of Colorado Springs, Colo.; her grandchildren, Adria Slenker Lovelace and Cory Burroughs of San Diego, Calif. and Mary Catherine, Bronwyn, Will and Jack McEwen of Lookout Mountain, Ga.; her stepchildren, Lori Ferguson (Michael) of Vinton, Lee Vonderheide (Jeannie) of Cedar Rapids 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 N. Bragg Ave., Lookout Mountain, TN 37350; at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 27. The family will be greeting friends and relatives for an hour before the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church, 316 N. Bragg Ave., Lookout Mountain, TN 37350.

Condolences may be left on Marilyn Vonderheide's online guest book at .

On this occasion, as she has gone to be with the Lord, Marilyn's husband and children want to express our deep love and gratitude for her.

Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home and Crematory, Battlefield Parkway.

Published in The Gazette July 24, 2013.