Mardene Skogen

Live until you die! Her whole being echoed this as she challenged Dr. Wagner to get her to Alex’s Wedding and then for her to be there for the birth of her great-grandchild – Nevada.

Our beloved wife, mother, step mother, sister, grandmother and friend, Mardene Skogen, passed away on October 9, 2017 holding the hand of her husband Al, and surrounded by her loving family and friends. She had fought a tough battle with cancer – outliving all predictions due her toughness and wicked sense of humor.

Family was the crowning glory of her life, and her grandchildren and great grandchildren were the crown jewels.  They all adored her.  Some of the words they use to describe Grandma Dene: Riley: Moxie and Courageous. Chye: Energetic and Welcoming. Alexandra: Spunky and Loving. Trae: Loves kids and Huggy. Everly: Partner in Crime. Nathan: Cool as a Cucumber. Bree: BAD ASS!  Ball of fire. Ryley: Loving and Beautiful. Aden: Best gramma ever, and I mean it! Kolby: Warm hearted and Loved. Chris: Biggest heart and Best grandma. Emily: Warm hearted and Spontaneous. Sicily: Loving and Kind. Sadie: She was always so SASSY and showed tuff love. Gabby: The life of the party and the Class Clown. Lexi: Amazing and Beautiful. Peyton: My Best Friend, she taught me how to plant flowers. Megan:  Warm and Welcoming. JT: Sweet. Caring. Loving. Titus: She had a funny laugh.  Noah: Creative, Goofy, and she loved Christmas. Ciciley: She was Bubbly, Beautiful, and Selfless. Lucas: She was Cheerful, Thoughtful and Kind. Amy: Glass half full, Fun, Funny, Lived life to the fullest. Victoria, Sydney and Molly: So Caring, Good person, Bubbly, Courageous, Amazing, Kindful, the Best, Funny – especially when she pulled down her teeth, Beautiful, Pretty, Loving, Nice, Very caring, a Dog person, Always let us play games – THE BEST Grandma! Aaron: You always knew grandma genuinely cared about you and your daily life...the little details of your life mattered to her.  Alan: She was always laughing.  Adam: Genuine and infectious smile. You couldn't not be laughing or smiling when you were around her.  Joyful, always so fun to be around, loved holidays.

She was born May 20, 1949 in the farm house on Canyon Mill Ronan, where she grew up with her 13 brothers and sisters.   The story goes that grandma (Melva) was making dinner for a work crew that was putting a new roof on one of the barns and felt tired, laid down and grandpa (Wayne) ended up delivering Mardene, 11lbs.  She was the 10 ^th of 14 children.

There was something always going on in the Snyder household and Mardene learned her ability to sew, play the piano and make projects from anything there.

She was always hitting the garage sales and thrift stores to create her next costume or prize. She loved gathering with her siblings and they would spend many afternoons looking through pictures and talking about old times.  Her two remaining sisters stayed by her side through chemo, radiation and immunotherapy and kept her thoughts on life. The three were supposed to go up on a flight with their brother Robert when she got too sick, she regretted that but think how she can soar now.

She worked at the Ace Hardware (Coast to Coast) for many years and then at the Ronan State Bank (Community Bank) until she retired three years ago.  She gathered monthly with her past coworkers to keep up laugh and tell tall-tales of retirement and grand-children.

Mardene loved fun and lived life fully!  If there was something going on she was right in the middle of it.  She believed strongly in supporting her local community, helping to put on countless tournaments and events and was in every parade riding on the cribbage board from the Valley Club or as an O’Leary Ole lady, or as musical clarinet player. She spent countless hours with her husband and friends helping on the Mission Mountain Golf Course and putting on the Skogen Open.   She was a Golfer and Bowler extraordinaire, an adventurous zip-liner and a great dancer (she and Al could cut a rug!)

Crazy about hats and Christmas – she filled her children and grandchildren with traditions and memories to carry on in their lives.

She is survived by her husband Al, children Brenda (Rick) Dennis, Brad (Sandy) Wirz and step children, Cindy (Tom) Dell, Fred (Tammy) Skogen and Karen (Aaron) Haslem. Sisters, Karen (Tracy) Manus, and Sharon Turner. Brothers, Robert Snyder, Duane Snyder, Merlyn Snyder, Vernon Snyder, Leonard (Mary) Snyder and Ron (Georgia) Snyder. Grandchildren Riley, Alex and Nathan Dennis. BreeAnna (Ryley) Duford, Chris (Emily) Byker, Sadie, Gabby, Lexi and Peyton Wirz, Amy (James) Rozell, Aaron ( Marrisa) Skogen, Alan (Kelsey) Skogen, Adam (Alexis) Skogen, Titus, Noah, Ciciley and Lucas Haslem, JT (Ashley) Dell, and Megan (Adam) Goldammer, and 14 Great Grandchildren, Aden, Kolby, Victoria, Sydney, Molly, Sicily, Emma, Carter, Kaden, Daven, Virginia, Stephen, Everly and Nevada. An extraordinary group of cousins, nieces and nephews and friends she valued as family.

A Celebration of Her Life will be held in the Ronan Horticulture Building beside the Community Center, Sunday the 15th at 2:00PM.  We will have a potluck dinner afterward as we share in the memories and stories of her life. Instead of flowers, Mardene asked that donations go to Cheerful Heart and Boys and Girls Club.

Memories of Mardene and messages of condolence to the family may be sent online at www.shriderthompson.com Arrangements have been entrusted to Shrider-Thompson Funeral Home, Ronan.