Marilyn L. Brothers, 95
Marilyn L. Brothers, 95, a longtime resident of Sandpoint, Idaho, passed away Jan. 21, 2023.
Marilyn was staying with her daughter, Terry Helmick, in Palisades, Neb. Terry was her final caregiver and they had some good quality time together for that final month.
Marilyn Louise Kauffman was born Nov. 23, 1927, to Harold and Hazel (Zook) Kauffman. They lived in the La Cienega Heights area of Los Angeles, Calif., and Marilyn graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in 1945. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in secretarial science from Woodbury College in 1947.
On her 21st birthday, she met a young man named Harvey Brothers at an ice skating rink in Westwood, Calif. Harvey asked her to skate with him during the couples-only skate and afterward asked for her phone number. Marilyn was reluctant to give a stranger her number, but since he had no way to write it down, she told him thinking he would forget it. Six months later they were married on May 21, 1949. Harvey and Marilyn spent 56 wonderful years together, until Harvey's passing in 2005.
Together they built a home in the San Fernando Valley and during their five years there, had three children. In 1955, Lockheed, the company Harvey worked for, transferred him to Sunnyvale, Calif., so they moved to the San Jose area. After two years, he transferred to the Santa Cruz Mountain Test Base as a Development Test Mechanic.
Harvey and Marilyn moved to the Redwood Mountains of Felton, Calif., in 1958. It was there that they built their second home and raised their three children. They shared their home with boys in the foster care system. In 1971, Marilyn began working in a local bank at the new accounts help desk to help with college expenses.
After Harvey’s retirement, they moved to the Sunnyside area of Sandpoint in 1978 and built a third and final home.
Marilyn loved God and spent much of her time helping in her local Kootenai Community Church. She was an avid gardener, raising many flowers and winning many ribbons at the county fair. She enjoyed canoeing on the Pack River, picking huckleberries in the mountains and was always ready to help others.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Hazel Kauffman, husband Harvey Brothers and sister Dorothy Kauffman Murray. She is survived by two sons, Tom Brothers of Sagle, Idaho, and Nick Brothers of Durango, Colo.; a daughter, Terry Brothers Helmick of Palisades, Neb.; 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
There will be a graveside service at the Pack River Cemetery on April 15, 2023, at 11 a.m. All are welcome to come. After the graveside service, there will be a reception at the Kootenai Community Church, 477 N. Main, Kootenai, Idaho.
Family and friends are invited to sign Marilyn’s online guestbook at www.coffeltfuneral.com.
Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.