Mark M. Bolenbaugh

Mark Bolenbaugh, 79, passed away on September 5, 2026, surrounded by family, at Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Mark was born January 11, 1947, in Van Wert, Ohio, to William and Marcile (Hoghe) Bolenbaugh. His life was shaped by hard work, family, faith, service, and a deep love of the outdoors. From a dairy farm in Ohio to the railroads of Wyoming, from serving his country in Germany to standing knee-deep in a mountain stream with a fly rod in his hand, Mark found happiness in simple things, good people, and the beauty of the world around him.

In May 1966, during the buildup for the Vietnam War, he was drafted into the United States Army. He completed basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, followed by Artillery Fire Direction Control School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Mark was assigned as a rifleman in the mechanized infantry of the 3rd Armored Division in Germany for nearly two years. Germany became especially meaningful because his daughter, Suzanne, was born there with his first wife Christina.

Following his Army service, Mark returned to Ohio where his son, Ryan, was born.

In 1974, Mark headed west.

With no elaborate plan, he and his family got on Interstate 80 and kept going. Their appreciation for university communities and Mark's love of the mountains eventually brought them to Laramie, Wyoming.

After a brief time working in auto parts, Mark began what would become a 31-year career with the Union Pacific Railroad. Railroading suited Mark because it let him see the outside world. Over the decades, he witnessed more spectacular Wyoming wildlife, sunrises, and sunsets than he could count. Mark summed up railroad life perfectly as "years of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror." Through it all, Mark became known as a calm hand on the rails. Student engineers were given a simple piece of advice: "Watch old Mark. If he panics, you panic. But if he doesn't panic, don't worry about it."

In 1980, Mark married Mary Ann (Clymer) Bolenbaugh, which began a partnership that would span more than four decades. Together, they created a life centered around family, including Mary Ann’s two daughters Andrea and Krista as his own, faith, service, and plenty of time outdoors. Together they were members of King of Glory Lutheran Church and also volunteered at the Cheyenne VA Medical Center. Some of their happiest days were spent with family and friends standing in the water, gold pans in hand, simply enjoying each other's company.

Mark developed a strong love for fly-fishing. Most importantly he enjoyed building flies and fly rods, as he made rods for his family. Those rods were more than gifts. They were invitations to turn off the computer, put down the phone, leave the television behind, and head for the mountains. Invitations to stand beside a lake or in a stream, watch the wildlife, see a Wyoming sunrise, and experience the peace Mark had found outdoors throughout his life.

But nothing mattered more to Mark than family.

Mark is survived by his wife, Mary Ann (Clymer) Bolenbaugh; his children, Suzanne Bolenbaugh and her husband, Gary Manson; Ryan Bolenbaugh and his wife, Rachel; Andrea Wilkison and her husband, Randy; and Krista Craven; his brothers, Ned (Nelda) Bolenbaugh, Neil (June) Bolenbaugh, and Dave (Barb) Bolenbaugh; and sister-in-law Cindy Burnes, fourteen grandchildren; a plethora of great-grandchildren; and an extended family he loved dearly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Marcile Bolenbaugh, and his brother, Jim Bolenbaugh.

Perhaps the best way to remember Mark is through the lesson he tried to pass along with every fishing rod he built:

Go outside. Go to the mountains. Spend time with the people you love.

Mark found happiness there, and his greatest hope was that the people he loved would find it there, too.

A funeral service honoring Mark's life will be held Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at King of Glory Lutheran Church. A reception will follow at the church. Inurnment with military honors will follow at 2 PM, at the National Veterans Cemetery in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

In place of flowers, memorial contributions in Mark's honor may be made to King of Glory Lutheran Church or Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne.

To view the service online, please click the link below:

King of Glory Lutheran Church

https://www.facebook.com/people/King-of-Glory-Lutheran-Church/100064765178659/?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=7RfGpqHmef5mdNWd&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1Dq4fW5ZZX%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr

To read Mark’s life story, please click the link below:

Marks Life Story

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kca_89nr8oMjgqLw15KkZ3LxAzzbWcod/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103339016199755243149&rtpof=true&sd=true