Rifle's Maryhannah Throm Dies at 99 After 79 Years at 750 Railroad Ave

Who lived at 750 Railroad Ave. in Rifle for most of the last century?

Maryhannah Hansen Throm did. She died on May 17, 2026, at age 99.25. The obituary doesn’t just list dates. It lists a life spent building the community we now take for granted.

Throm was born on a ranch eleven miles south of Silt on Divide Creek. Her parents were Richard A. and Mabel L. Hansen. She attended the Fairview school for eight years. She graduated as valedictorian from Rifle Union High School in 1945. That same year, she moved into her grandmother’s home at 750 Railroad Ave. She never left. Not really. She resided there until she died.

Locals know the address. They know the house. It’s a fixture. Throm was a fixture.

She married Charlie Throm on July 6, 1947, right there in that house. He died in 1998. She stayed.

The nickname "Hammer" stuck. A school chum gave it to her after watching her dress down a bully on the playground. It wasn’t a threat. It was admiration. The name followed her through decades of service.

She was active in the Methodist Presbyterian Church. She served on committees. She taught Sunday school. She counseled youth. She received the Bishop Award in 2007. She served on the Conference Board of Ministry from 1989 to 1997. She was trustee for the Grand Mesa Christian Association. She got the Conference Camping award. She was Lay Leader for the Sub-District.

But the church wasn’t the only place she worked. She helped plan the State Highway 13 By-Pass through Rifle. That’s not a minor detail. That’s infrastructure. That’s how you get out of town. She was also instrumental in the initial organization of Lift-UP.

For over 28 years, she delivered Meals on Wheels. She didn’t just drive the route. She delivered. In 2019, she received the Governor’s Service Volunteer Award. She also got the Garfield County Humanitarian Award.

She loved children. She ran a daycare home for years. She was a Scout leader. A room mother. A bake sale enthusiast. A homework warden. From 1974 to 1980, she worked as a business assistant for a local dentist. She tried real estate briefly. She went back to daycare in 1982. She preferred it.

She was affectionately known as "The General." She planned and promoted the annual family reunion picnic. She kept the family together. She visited national parks with her sister, Dorth. She collected colorful magnets from each one.

Her survivors reflect a wide net. Her son Donald Throm lives in Parachute. Her daughter Marianne Stanek lives in Colorado Springs. Her daughter Rebecca Blanc lives in Colorado Springs. Her daughter Karen Klebold lives in Grand Junction.

She leaves four grandsons: Shawn Lucchesi, Brian Blanc, Mason Klebold, and Corry Klebold. Doug Parker is listed as a cousin raised in Grandma Hansen’s house. She also leaves two step granddaughters and their husbands, plus seven step grandsons.

The short version? Rifle lost a historian. She didn’t just watch history happen. She organized the roads, the food, the faith, and the families. She lived at 750 Railroad Ave. for 79 years. That house is still there. The street is still there. The people who remember her are still here.

Read that again. She was 99.25 years wise.