Muriel Lucile Johnson Holtin

Muriel Lucile Johnson Holtin

August 4, 1924 – December 16, 2024

Muriel Lucile Johnson Holtin was born on August 4, 1924, in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, to Manferd Hamlin Johnson and Esther Elizabeth Hallstrom. She attended Ridgway public schools and graduated in 1942 from Centennial High School which was across the street from the Evangelical Covenant Church where she and her family were very active.

She married her childhood sweetheart, WW2 Air Force co-pilot, Carl “Bud” Holtin, on June 22, 1946, and moved to the Rochester, New York, area where he worked for Eastman Kodak Company. She lived in the Town of Henrietta for forty years prior to moving to Westminster, Colorado in 1996, thirteen years after she had been widowed.

She thoroughly enjoyed retirement life at Covenant Village of Colorado, now known as Covenant Living of Colorado, in Westminster for 28 years. At the time of her death, she was believed to be the record-setter for the longest tenure at their campus.

When she was selected as Volunteer of the Month at the Village, the article in the residents’ newsletter highlighted many of her endearing characteristics. She was described as a person just bursting with good ideas and eager to accept and encourage the ideas of others. She had a long history of volunteering, beginning with her involvement with organizations at Emmanuel Evangelical Covenant and Trinity Covenant Churches in Rochester which included teaching in Vacation Bible School, serving several terms as President of Covenant Women, serving as the church’s Financial Secretary for twelve years, singing for about 50 years in the church choir and making her famous Rice Pudding and Swedish Meatballs for Emmanuel’s annual Christmastime Smorgasbord. She became the Village’s unofficial photographer capturing many “special moments for our residents and staff” at the numerous activities and countless trips she participated in. She was described as serving “tirelessly” as their Village Faire annual event’s Publicity Chairperson and as a frequent volunteer at their gift shop. She was a happy person who was a joy to be around and as “our idea person.” She delighted in photography, shopping for her grandchildren, traveling locally and world-wide, collecting souvenir spoons, genealogy, reading and word games like Scrabble, which she enjoyed right up to the point where she no longer had the stamina to compete.

Her family and friends will always remember Muriel as a strong example of Christian faith and courage that carried her through challenging times including a diagnosis and surgery for breast cancer in 1965, at the young age of 41, the loss of her beloved husband when she was just 59 years old, and double-bypass heart surgery at age 76. They also rejoice at the fact that she was able to live to see age 100 and enjoyed her birthday celebration with family this past August.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Rodger Holtin; her parents; and her siblings, Gertrude Anderson, Betty Johnson, Hamlin Johnson, Roger Johnson, Shirley Douds, Robert Johnson and Alan Johnson.

She is survived by her two sons, Rodger Holtin (wife, Alice) of Henderson, Tennessee and Paul Holtin (wife, Sandra) of Houston, Texas; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

A graveside interment service is planned for Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at Oakmont Cemetery, Ridgway, Pennsylvania.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to:

Covenant Living of Colorado - Benevolent Care

9153 Yarrow Street

Westminster, CO 80021

Attn: Director of Philanthropy

Phone: 303-951-8369

Tax EIN: 84-1084331 Online: https://www.covliving.org/contact-us/donation/

To indicate that your gift is in memory of Muriel Holtin, please scroll down to “Tribute Gift.”