Marian Lorraine Thulson

Marian Lorraine Thulson (née Johnson) of Centennial, Colorado died October 1 at age 94 under God’s mercy. She is survived by her 5 children and 4 of their spouses (Stephen and Darlene, Mark, James and Kristina, Peter and Anne, and Kristine and Alan Stevenson), by 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, and by her sister Joyce Testerman and husband Chuck. She was preceded in death by her husband Roy Thulson in 2013, her sister Donna Johnson in 1946, her brother Elmer W. Johnson Jr. in 2008, and her daughter-in-law Gaile Thulson (née Golike) on September 10 of this year.

Lorraine will be buried in a private service at Ft. Logan National Cemetery. A public memorial service will celebrate her life at 3 pm on Friday, November 4 at Centennial Covenant Church, 401 West Mineral Avenue, Littleton, Colorado, 80120. Gifts to the church in her memory can be made at https://centcov.org/give/ .

Lorraine was born October 29, 1927 to Lillian Marie Johnson (née Nelson) and Elmer W. Johnson of Denver. After graduating from South High School, she earned a degree in Chemistry from Denver University and worked as a medical technician at Swedish National Sanitorium. She married Arthur Roy Thulson Jr. in 1950 and they raised 5 children. Lorraine worked for many years as organist and pianist at Belcaro Evangelical Free Church, where she also worshipped and volunteered.

Raised among devout immigrants in the Swedish Free Church (now the Evangelical Free Church), Lorraine professed Christian Faith as a child and followed her parents’ example of faithful service there and, in recent years, at Centennial Covenant Church.

Lorraine took quiet delight in her long and rich life. She welcomed each new daughter- and son-in-law, each grandchild and great-grandchild, with joy. Her home was a hub and a haven for her ever-growing family and intersecting circles of friends. Those circles included sewing and quilting clubs, Bible study and prayer groups, friends of children and children of friends. She relished reading (especially history and mysteries), crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, sewing, quilting, gardening, and music while also enhancing those pleasures for others.

Lorraine made early acquaintance with grief with her 12-year-old sister’s death of polio, long hospitalizations after two near-fatal car accidents, and her mother’s sudden death when Lorraine was a young mother herself. These and each day’s part of pain and pleasure tempered in her a durable and quiet empathy. As her peers passed away in recent years she’d say, “I don’t know why I’m still here!” Many were grateful that she was still here, blessed by the character she built in joy, hardship, and faithfulness.

Lorraine’s graceful endurance, her broad reading, and her critical intelligence deepened her faith and that of her family and friends. She took childish questions seriously, won every Scrabble game, and brought a dry humor and peacemaker’s grace to every dispute. Her simple counsel and constant example are written on our hearts: “Be kind.