Marilyn Ann Mueller, Age 86, of Deer Lodge

Marilyn Ann Roben Mueller, of Deer Lodge, Montana, passed away on August 21, 2023. Marilyn, at 86 years old, lived long and hard and just wore out her body. As she told her doctors, “I had fun getting here.” Marilyn was born to Edeward and Evelyn Roben (both now deceased) on October 10, 1936. She had two siblings, Sharon Roben (Findling) and Edward William Roben (deceased).

Marilyn moved to Ketchum, Idaho from Portland, Oregon in 1958 after attending the wedding of a family friend and decided that is where she wanted to live the rest of her life.

She worked as a waitress and cashier at some of the high-end restaurants.

She married Tony Mueller, who was from Germany. They traveled around Europe but always lived in Ketchum.

After their divorce, she moved to Stanley, Idaho with Frank McMasters and became a Wrangler. Frank taught her natural horsemanship before that was a phrase. They ran a dude wrangling business and pack string. Even after Frank died, Marilyn took care of the ranchers’ cattle during the summer months, she irrigated her own place as well as some of the ranches around her. She was a Brand inspector and worked with the Forest Service when they needed her to pack into the high mountain camps to haul out other people’s garbage. She also hired out to take hunters into the high country. She worked for the Fish and Game to clean out salmon traps on the irrigation canals. She hiked in summer and skied in the winter but preferred to be in the mountains on horseback.

She strongly supported Women’s rights and said she was “third in line after Gloria Steinbeck told women to burn their bras”. She was very outspoken in her political and environmental views, which made people reexamine their own opinions. She was quite a role model and made a huge impression on a lot of people in the Sawtooth Valley. She was a very progressive thinker and ahead of her time. Mailyn was strong-willed and a memorable character. She made lifelong friends who will all miss her. She shared her stories with anyone who would listen.

Marilyn moved to Deer Lodge, Montana in 2012, to be close to her longtime friends, Alex and Kayo Fraser. Her eyesight was failing, and she knew she would need more help as time went on. Alex met her about 60 years ago when he was her busboy at one of the restaurants in Ketchum. He later went to work for her and Frank taking dudes into the Sawtooth Mountains from Red Fish Lake. Years later, Alex taught her how to drive her horses and she would use them to pull out firewood for her winter’s heat. She only wanted to heat her home with wood and often cut her own firewood with help from some of her friends.

Horses, cats, and dogs were important in her life. The list is too long but most of her stories included Rottweilers she adopted, Rudy, then later, Charlie, Dozer a large mix breed, and finally Willy, a Tibetan Terrier, who moved with her to Deer Lodge. They waited at Heaven’s gates for her. And are now reunited.

A Celebration of Life will be determined later, to scatter ashes in her favorite place in the Sawtooth Mountains.

Please visit below to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Marilyn. Axelson Funeral and Cremation Services has been privileged to care for Marilyn and her family.