Marie Thomas Zenger's Obituary
Theodora Marie Thomas Zenger (October 4, 1934 – January 22, 2026) lived much of her early life in Northern California as the youngest of four children born to James Madison and Theodora Pauline Ruegg Thomas. She was raised on the family dairy farm in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the small “gold rush” town of Ione, where she enjoyed the company of barnyard cats and horses. As a teenager, Marie became severely ill with rheumatic fever that resulted in her missing two years of school.
After finishing high school, Marie moved to Berkeley to live with her sister Joyce and attended secretarial school in Oakland. She attended church at the University of California Institute and enjoyed the thriving Institute social activities, where she met her future husband, Jerry Zenger. Marie earned additional income by providing home-cooked meals for a few boarders, including Jerry. She and Jerry, along with other members of the Institute, volunteered as ushers for the San Francisco Opera and Symphony, which helped develop a lifelong love of beautiful music and singing. Marie eventually began dating Jerry, who was enamored with her beauty and her cooking, and they were married in 1957.
Settling in the Berkeley area, four treasured children were born to the family, and Marie learned the art of motherhood while creating lasting traditions. Trading oak-covered hills for snow-covered mountains, the family moved in 1972 to the Millcreek area of Salt Lake City where Marie resided to the end of her life. Her last two years were spent at Spring Gardens where she received exceptional care from the loving staff.
Marie was a friend to all. She had an uncanny knack for befriending those in need of friendship, particularly those who had found difficult paths through life. She saw the goodness in everyone she met regardless of their circumstances. Everyone that met her felt her love and kindness.
Marie is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been a hallmark of her life. She served as Young Women president or leader several times, Relief Society president, Cub Scout den mother, and gospel doctrine teacher. The latter calling she received as a grandma; it challenged her and deepened her faith as she devoted countless hours to gospel study. Marie loved attending the temple. She would attend faithfully almost every week for decades, even as her mobility deteriorated and her attendance required a wheelchair. She also volunteered for many years in the Salt Lake Temple cafeteria and thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of her fellow volunteers. She loved KBYU television and radio and would often listen to conference and devotional broadcasts, and classical music as the background to her daily life.
She was actively involved in her children’s schools through the PTA, holding numerous positions including President and eventually served as the PTA Associate Regional Director of the Granite School District.
Marie was the tireless, moving force behind her children’s years of early morning delivery of the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper in the surrounding neighborhoods. She would rouse her complaining children from bed, lead in the folding of the newspapers and expertly drive them on their delivery routes until they were old enough to drive themselves. She was a skilled seamstress, sewing clothing for all her children, including numerous beautiful dresses and outfits for her daughter. She wholeheartedly supported her children in all their numerous and varied interests and hobbies, preparing food, sewing clothing, driving all over the state, bandaging wounds, cheering quietly and consoling whenever needed. Her children always knew that their mom would fully support them in whatever they chose to do.
Marie was a talented chef. She loved to cook and she will be remembered fondly by all those who were fortunate enough to be there for a Sunday or Holiday dinner. Her dinner rolls and orange rolls were legendary. She was an avid collector of cookbooks and recipes and was continually looking for new and interesting things to cook. Her homemade bread was a staple of her family’s diet.
Marie was also an avid reader and combined her love of reading and cooking into a book club where friends gathered over a carefully prepared lunch to discuss the assigned book and enjoy the company of her friends. She also loved the local libraries, which she visited multiple times a week to check out books, audio books, and magazines.
Marie made thrifting an art form. She would routinely visit her favorite thrift stores looking for clothing, furniture, books, home decor, toys and other intriguing finds. These discoveries gave her particular delight, and she shared them freely with her children and others. Her children and grandchildren could always count on receiving at least one Christmas or birthday gift from the “Shopper.”
She was a master organizer. Her files were kept current and neat. She kept a balanced checkbook and was proud to have recorded every expenditure and gain in a series of notebooks over her married life. She knew exactly where to find carefully stored items such as fabrics, patterns, baby toys, costumes, kitchen gadgets, and magazines. She planned and organized thoughtfully. When her children were starting their families, she kept their schedules in mind which helped all to feel seen. Even from thousands of miles away, Marie would make a timely call or offer a solution that would fill a need.
Marie’s actions made it clear that her family was the most important aspect of her life. She is our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt. She is survived by her four children, John (Abby), Briana (Stuart), Jarom (Patricia), Joel (Amy), seventeen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
A funeral will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the LDS East Millcreek 15th Ward Chapel, 3750 S Hillside Lane (2600 E). Viewing from 9:30-10:30 AM followed by funeral services at 11:00 AM. Interment to follow at Elysian Burial Gardens. For those unable to attend the services in person, a Zoom broadcast has been made available: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83329769642
Meeting ID: 833 2976 9642
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the LDS Church Humanitarian Fund.
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