Marilyn Mae Willenbring

Marilyn Mae (Wattenhofer) Willenbring, 87, of Ponsford, Minnesota, passed away on Friday, March 11, 2022, at Diamond Willow Nursing Home. Marilyn Mae Wattenhofer was born on May 9, 1934, at the family farm in Two Inlets Township, Minnesota the daughter of the late Lewis and Matilda (Pfeifer) Wattenhofer. She graduated high school from St. Francis High School, Little Falls, Minnesota, as part of the class of 1953. After graduation she travelled to San Diego, California where she met Brooks Renne Nason and 11 days later they were united in marriage in Tijuana, Mexico. To this union three children were born Renne, Welthy, and Lenard. They made their home in Arizona where she worked at Dave Beaton Insurance for 16 years. Marilyn lost her husband Brooks in 1984 and moved back to the Ponsford area to be with her family. She found love again in Tim Willenbring; they were united in marriage on November 23, 1985, and they were married for 35 years before his passing in 2020. During this time, she worked at her father’s insurance agency Wattenhofer Insurance Agency for 20 years until her retirement. Marilyn enjoyed needle work, gardening, and dancing especially square dancing. She loved her family and made time to spend with them. Deeply loved, Marilyn’s passing will be mourned by her children; Renne (Janice) Nason, Welthy (Tony) Sturgeon, and Lenard Nason, her stepchildren Pat (Al) Butler, Paula (Keith) Zitzow, Jean (Mike) Coulson, her 12 grandchildren, her 15 great-grandchildren, her sister Ann “Dumpsey” Paulsen, her brother Robert “Tiny” Wattenhofer, and a large extended family. Marilyn is preceded in death by her first husband Brooks Nason and her second husband Tim Willenbring, her parents, brothers Raymond “Bud” Wattenhofer, Lewis (Bozo) Wattenhofer, sister Helen Kaliban-Fischer, and two stepchildren George and Joan Willenbring. In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations be made to the St. Joseph’s Hospice Care of Park Rapids, Minnesota.