Marge Rothfuss, 84
Marjorie Ruth Rothfuss, 84, passed away July 15, 2024, in Kalispell. Marge fought the last three years with an ovarian cancer diagnosis, with humor and grace. She was born in Dunsmuir, California, on Nov. 30, 1939, to her parents Henry and Anne Erhart.
She was preceded in death by her sisters, Barbara Rasmussen and Betty Fineman.
She is survived by her brothers, James and George "Bob" Erhart; her husband, Edwin "Ed" Rothfuss; daughter, Sally Rothfuss; sons, Pete and Mark Rothfuss, Mark's wife, Kate Sorensen Rothfuss, and their sons, Luke and Troy.
Marge grew up in Dunsmuir, California, and moved to San Francisco where she attended college. In 1960 she decided to work for the concession in Yosemite National Park. This is when she caught the eye of a National Park Ranger named Edwin Rothfuss. Ed was eating breakfast and amongst the other girls coming into the dining room he was struck by the tall, pretty girl wearing orange knee socks. Their first date was a hike to Yosemite Falls and they were married on New Year’s Eve, 1960.
The life of a National Park Service wife began. The couple would move from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Everglades National Park. Then Ed was called to duty during the Berlin Crisis sending Marge back home to stay with her parents until she was able to join Ed in Georgia. Ed was released to graduate school 20 miles from his parents’ home in Ohio, so Marge was able to sample the farmer’s life before Ed was assigned to Grand Canyon Arizona where daughter Sally was born in 1963. Canyon Lands NP, Utah, was the next, and son Peter was born in 1965.
The next move was to the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The following four years were where Marge really felt she had a home and loved entertaining people from all over the world, and exploring the Caribbean and giving birth to her son Mark in 1967. The next stop, Mammoth Cave Kentucky. Then Ed took a position as chief naturalist in Glacier National Park in 1971. The family eventually moved from the park service housing to purchasing their farm on Lake Blaine Road in Kalispell. In 1979 Marge packed up the family again with Ed’s promotion to superintendent at Mount Rushmore. The final Park Service move was to Death Valley National Monument. While living there, Marge and Ed pursued their dream of owning a bookstore. They opened Parkland Books in Las Vegas and Marge ran it full-time while Ed commuted from Death Valley on weekends.
Marge and Ed missed the farm in Montana, so when Ed retired and began living there part-time, and eventually converted the garage into Parkland Books 2. When their twin grandsons were born in 2011, Marge needed no further encouragement to stay full-time in Montana and not miss a moment of being the wonderful grandma she was.
Marge had an adventurous life and traveled to many exotic places like China, the Caribbean Islands, Costa Rica, and her favorite was Hawaii. Marge also belonged to many service groups over the years and volunteered for countless causes. However, her family and friends most often think of what a loving mother and wonderful hostess she was. She took pride in the wonderful meals she would prepare for family and friends, and especially liked baking delicious pies and the sweets she loved so much. She enjoyed tending to the animals on the farm and her garden and flowers she nurtured every season. Marge was kind and selfless, always happy to listen to others, often humorous, making everyone feel welcome.
Marge also hosted many potlucks over the years for fun or for causes, so in her memory, her family would like to invite you to one more:
Marge's Potluck, Saturday, Sept. 21, Lawrence Park, Kalispell, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Bring a dessert or a side dish if you like; barbecue meats and soft drinks will be provided. RSVP with Ed at 406-309-2851 or email mrothf9827@aol.com.
Donations to your chosen charity in lieu of flowers or gifts.
