Marie Helen Weidmann, 88
Marie Helen Weidmann (nee Lehnstul), passed away on Saturday, March 12, 2016 in Alamosa surrounded by the love and prayers of family and friends after a long, happy, active life and a brief, but courageous battle with cancer. Marie was born on November 22, 1927 to Paul and Ferdinanda (Glenz) Lehnstul in Bronx, New York. She grew up in Edgewater Park in the Bronx where she met the love of her life, Joseph George Weidmann. They were married on January 18, 1948 and moved to Franklin Square, New York to start their life together and raise a family. Marie was a stay-at-home wife and devoted mother who did not learn to drive until 1974, when she and her husband and two youngest children moved to the Forbes Trinchera in Fort Garland, Colorado in 1974.

Marie helped her husband initiate, write, publish, and distribute a monthly newsletter for Nassau County, NY police officers of German heritage called, “The Steuben Shield,” from 1964 until his retirement from the Department in 1974. She kept records and manned the Home Base for Ranger Security Service, founded and operated by her husband, Joe, on the Forbes Trinchera Ranch from 1975 to 1978. She worked for a short time as a bookkeeper for Colorado Aggregate Company in Blanca, Colorado and also volunteered for the Blanca/Ft Garland Senior Citizens Nutrition Program.

When her beloved Joe passed in 1997, Marie moved to Alamosa. She became actively involved in many organizations including Senior Citizens, Quilt Guild, SLV Crimestoppers, American Legion Auxiliary, and Women’s Citizenship Club. She also volunteered for the San Luis Valley Museum and enjoyed taking school groups on tours. Marie served on the Board of Directors for the Museum for many years. She enjoyed crocheting, traveling on adventures with family, and watching sporting events of all kinds. She dearly loved cheering on her grandsons and granddaughters while following their sports careers. Her favorite pastimes were spending time with family, word jumbles and searches, line dancing, bird watching, old western movies and musicals, and playing Gin Rummy or Dice. Her deep and abiding faith in God was nurtured by the Lutheran Church and by the TV bible study programs she routinely watched. She was interested in current events and believed in volunteerism and community involvement. She supported veterans, law enforcement, animal welfare and many other benevolent organizations and agencies.

Marie was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Paul Lehnstul, her sister Katherine (Lehnstul) Portz, and her husband of nearly 50 years, Joe. She is survived by her 4 loving children: Richard (Colleen) Weidman, Joanne (Tom) Collins, Lorelei (Duane) Bussey, and Scott (Sherry) Weidmann; 11 wonderful grandchildren: Liese (Terry) Williams, Brianna (Shawn) Stallings, Joseph (Erin) Weidman, Shaun Collins, Keith (Melanie) Collins, Lance (Madeana) Collins, Emily Bussey, Erica Bussey, Katlyn Bussey, Amanda (John) Breedlove, and Christie Weidmann; and 13 precious great-grandchildren: Taylor Collins, Madison Collins, Kaiden Collins, Mikayla Collins, Hannah Stallings, Hailee Stallings, Emma Stallings, Grace Stallings, Hannah Breedlove, Mason Breedlove, Zoey Jamestown, Kaleeq Jamestown, and Decker Weidman.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, March 17th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and the funeral service will take place on Friday, March 18th at 11:00 am, both at Rogers Family Mortuary in Alamosa, with burial to follow at Alamosa Cemetery.

Kindly consider making a memorial contribution in Marie’s honor to: Alamosa Senior Citizens, San Luis Valley Museum, or Hospice del Valle.

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