Obituary of Marie Menge

Twila Marie Huffman Menge was born in North Lincoln County on January 26, 1916 to Pinkney Lyon and Twila Huffman Lyon. Marie was raised with her 8 siblings approximately 18 miles north of Limon near what the locals refer to as the brakes. She attended a country school until the sudden death in 1933 of her parents and two siblings by a train accident. At that time the remaining siblings were sent to different Huffman family members to live until they were old enough to be out on their own. Marie finished her 8th grade education and then started working to be on her own. Marie married Phillip Menge and to this union were born Phyllis, Harold and Carolyn. Marie worked very hard to raise her children with the same hard working conviction that she practiced in her life and all with very little money. During the early years Marie worked at numerous restaurants and it was while working there she gained many friends and fashioned her skills for being a hard worker and a good cook. From these skills in 1953 Marie was hired to start the Limon School Lunch Program for $160 per month. The school students enjoyed fresh homemade rolls daily and delighted in her homemade cinnamon rolls. These delights as well as many other recipes started by Marie are still made in the LHS kitchen and are still a favorite. While working at LHS she made great friends that she kept in contact with thru the last of her years. In 1957 at age 41 and with $50 in her pockets and all three of her kids thru school Marie decided to complete her education and studied for and took her GED. With this under her belt she felt there was nothing stopping her from furthering her education and she went to beauty school at Ricardos Beauty School during the summer months. With her love of the school lunch program she continued to cook at LHS until 1963 and during the summer months of those years she worked at Estes Park as a beautician, a waitress, and in a local western store enjoying the many folks she came in contact with and enjoying her time in the mountains. In October of 1963 she was afforded the opportunity to become the beautician of the newly built DESCI (Denver Educational Senior Citizens, Inc) high rise near downtown Denver. With this opportunity came a small apartment in the building as well as the beauty shop and a new start for her future. Marie made more money working her own beauty shop than she had ever seen in all her life, and enjoyed being able to help so many of the retired educators living in DESCI. Marie owned and operated this beauty shop until 1993. Upon retirement Marie was still one of the younger residents in DESCI. She continued being very active and provided many meals for residents as well as continuing to do pedicures and handyman work for many of the residents at DESCI. Denver Mayor Wellington Webb proclaimed March 25, 2003, as "Marie Menge Day" for her time, talents and service over 40 years at DESCI. She was also recognized for the many quilts and lap robes she made for the Denver area nursing homes and hospitals. At age 71 Marie attend Denver Opportunity School to learn to sew fur coats and enjoyed her time there with folks quite younger than her and helped each of them to design and sew their coats. She delighted in being able to help these students with her "old" sewing skills and made a coat out of mutton lamb which is still in the family. With her retirement she continued to make blankets for Gilpin Street School, Warren Village, and numerous hospitals and nursing homes. Marie reaped many personal rewards from seeing the look on these kids' faces with a gift of a warm blanket, knowing that she too had lived their tough times. In 1976 she bought mountain property near Harris Park and with the help of her son Harold she purchased a trailer to put on the property. Marie enjoyed every summer at her "summer home" and continued to build a large storage shed which her grandchildren loved to sleep in on their visits. She also added a larger open room to her trailer which allowed her, her family and her friends to not only enjoy the additional space but gave Marie more room to continue her sewing and quilting during the summer months during her stays. Marie loved spending time with her grandchildren and until recent years loved cooking and canning with each of them. She continued to make quilts for each grand and great grand child for many years until 2011 when with her failing health she moved to Carla's Care Center and later Lincoln Community Nursing Home until her death. Marie is preceded in death by her son Harold, Parents Pinkney and Twila Lyon, brothers George, Harold, Donald, John, Edwin and sisters Estella and Cleo. Marie is survived by her sister Ida Rice of California, her daughters Phyllis (Lee) Thompson of Limon & Carolyn Cain of Aurora, as well as grandchildren Teresa (Bart) O'Dwyer, Troy (Casey) Thompson, Belinda (TJ) Lenz, Vanessa (Shane) Lombardi, Athenna Maul, Steve Williamson and Dawn (Cam) Mollohan. As well as 13 great grandchildren and 4 great great grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.