Honoring Over 40 Years of Service by Brianna Willis
Touching Hearts and Inspiring Lives Through Generations
Marlin Heldstab (left) and Marlen Ronten their first year coaching football together at the high school in 1975.
“The seat of knowledge is in the head, of wisdom, in the heart.” These eloquent words can be personified by such a person who has lived life fully and who has worked his hardest to love, to serve, and to touch lives. William Hazlitt, the very man who penned this statement nearly two centuries ago, would have been proud to know that even in a fast-paced, oftentimes ego-centered society, there lives a man whose selfless heart has inspired others to become seekers of wisdom, thirsting for what truly is meaningful in life.
One does not have to journey to the ends of the earth, or through history for that matter, to find a man who has given his entire life to serve and inspire others. One would only have to travel to the serene, picturesque town of Tuolumne to meet a person whose heart parallels some of the most altruistic men and women in history. Marlen Ronten, a man of humility, perseverance, and kindness, has lived a life that on the outside may seem simple and ordinary. Yet, his journey has been far from normal and when one delves deeper into what has inspired him and what has kept him full of joy and compassion all of these years, it becomes clear that his family, his heart, and his beliefs have been at the core of what he would define as a “successful life”.
After talking to Marlen about his definition of success and what it takes to live a full life, his soft-spoken voice and humble personae cannot help but resonate into the hearts of others. There is no question that this very voice and words of wisdom have reverberated through children’s hearts and minds after four decades of teaching and coaching.
Longtime Summerville High School coach and teacher, Marlen Ronten, and his wife Virginia
“What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” ~Karl Menninger
Marlen Ronten, born in 1940 to Arthur Ronten and Henrietta Nelson Ronten, who were both born and raised in Tuolumne, has fond memories of the small lumber town called Tuolumne. His grandparents immigrated from Denmark and Sweden and settled in Tuolumne to work for the lumber mill. Marlen’s sister and brother-in-law, Sandra and John McKernan would also meet and raise their families in Tuolumne.
While Marlen was born in Jamestown, he grew up in Tuolumne, where his mother and father both attended Summerville Elementary School and Summerville High. He warmly remembers what Tuolumne used to be like-barber shops, a theater, which was open two nights a week, a bakery, clothing stores.
“Growing up in a mill town, everyone took care of everyone,” said Marlen.
It is no wonder that he would grow up and teach in the very schools he attended, raise his family where he was raised, and marry the woman he first fell in love with when he was sixteen.
Tuolumne, which was a small, yet thriving town at the time, provided much opportunity for Marlen to succeed. He was able to letter in twelve varsity sports at Summerville High School, which included four years of baseball, three years of football, two years of basketball, one year of track, and two years of tennis. As if athletics and academics didn’t keep him busy enough, he also spent his time coaching little league and, even though he didn’t know it at the time, began building upon his future as a teacher and coach.
After graduating from Summerville High School in 1958, Marlen was offered a scholarship at Pueblo Jr. College in Pueblo, Colorado and made the move from his home in Tuolumne to pursue his career.
Majoring in accounting at the time, Marlen and his high school sweetheart, Virginia Egger, decided their life together would begin and in the Spring of 1959, they eloped and stayed in Colorado to finish out Marlen’s freshman year of college. That summer, they moved back to Tuolumne, where Marlen worked in the woods, building roads for the logging company.
The following year, while Marlen attended Modesto Junior College, still pursuing accounting, he and Virginia would welcome a little blessing into their lives. In March, 1960, their first child, Jeff, was born. A few months later, they would again move, this time almost across the country.
Marlen, Virginia and Jeff would spend their next two years in Arkansas, where Marlen would attend Henderson State College. It was there that he decided to work on a bachelor’s degree in physical education and two minor degrees in math and social studies.
While playing basketball and baseball, working on his degree, and taking care of his family, Marlen and Virginia’s family grew and they welcomed another baby, Wendy, in November of 1962.
Marlen’s perseverance and strength would make his family proud when graduating from college in 1963. It was then that he and Virginia decided to bring their family back to the very town where they were raised, met each other, and fell in love.
Marlen refurbishing the school’s infamous splintering wooden bleachers in 1984.
“A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.” ~Author Unknown
When looking back on what has motivated people to pursue certain dreams and goals, many emphatically assert that one of their teachers were their source of inspiration.
“I had a lot of pretty good teachers. Yet, Jerry Keith was a big influence,” Marlen asserted.
Whether or not Mr. Keith knew it at the time, he planted a seed for Marlen to follow in his footsteps and become a coach and teacher-the perfect profession for a man whose heart is filled with the want to not only teach knowledge, but to educate young men and women in an area far more important than facts found in books. He instructed them as to what it means to find truth and to search within, finding family and their beliefs at the center of their lives.
This passion for working with children began in the Spring of 1966, where Marlen went to work at Summerville Elementary.
“I taught seventh and eighth grade,” he said. “There were 16 preps a day and we often stayed up until midnight getting work done.”
Despite the heavy workload that teaching often entails, he continually persevered and did so without letting his spirit become negatively affected.
“Marlen’s always been a really hard worker and has always taken care of us,” Virginia said affectionately.
This hard work was evident when he took on extra activities at Summerville Elementary School, coaching flag football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, and track.
After eight years of teaching at Summerville Elementary School, Marlen took a position at Summerville High teaching math and English. He also filled the role of the varsity assistant football coach and frosh basketball coach.
In 1975, he became the Varsity basketball coach and has done so with much pride and success since then.
“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called ‘truth.’” ~Dan Rather
Marlen celebrating from the sidlines after defeating Linden in 1989 to go 10-0 in league and 22-5 overall. That season he received the “Coach of the Year Award.”
When asked what his most memorable moment has been in the classroom or as a coach, he asserted, “I have had so many. Summerville High School has to be the best place to be. The community support is incredible and everyone is always working together. I have never seen administration, parents, and students working together like they do at Summerville.”
He added, “We might not be the richest school, but we are the best.”
It has always been apparent that Marlen’s heart is deeply embedded in the ongoings of Summerville High School.
He was athletic director for thirteen years at SHS, raising money to construct the bleachers in 1984 and supporting boys and girls in athletics.
This love for his community and continual want to touch the lives of his students has always been present in Marlen’s life.
For Marlen, education is not just embedded in books and countless math problems. As a teacher, his most important quality that he believes is essential for someone to find joy in life is respect.
“You have to respect people as they are. Not everyone is the A student or the top athlete. But you have to respect them.”
His athletes felt very fortunate to have Mr. Ronten as a coach because of this philosophy.
“He was not just interested in the player, but the total person. It’s not just a game, it’s a way of life. He taught more than just the game,” said Randy Roberson.
Scott Whitehead’s life was also touched by Mr. Ronten.
“I can’t say enough about Mr. Ronten. He is a pillar in my life. He is not only special as a coach, but as a person,” he said.
Bringing out the best in his students has always been a characteristic that Mr. Ronten is known for.
He has always told them that it is crucial to have respect for their families first, then their beliefs. For his athletes, he tells them “hopefully basketball comes in number three.”
Coach Ronten receiving an award for his 500th basketball victory in 2007. The same year he was honored Sports Figure of the Year.
Jamie Tune is but one of the hundreds of athletes who are overwhelmingly proud to have called Mr. Ronten “coach”.
“Marlen Ronten taught us to have respect for everyone, carry yourself with pride, win with class, give 100 percent, and there is no substitution for hard work,” he said.
Much of this respect stems from the relationships he built as a young man and continued to foster as an adult. Marlen and his friends have yearly reunions, where they are able to share memories and stories about their lives. These relationships are vital aspects of his life and even living in a small town, his life has been rich because of them.
Not only do Mr. Ronten’s students and colleagues think highly of this man who has poured his entire soul into his teaching and coaching, his family reveres him as a loving, kind man who has always taken care of them.
“He has always been very understanding and kind to me. I admire all the things he does and has accomplished,” said Virginia.
Marlen’s life as an educator goes beyond the walls of his classroom and gymnasiums. With two children, a son and daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren, his life is full.
“I love having them (his grandchildren) around,” he said. “We spoil them and when they come over, they get anything they want,” said Ronten.
Marlen’s gift of perseverance and kindness has permeated the lives of his children and grandchildren and he is proud that he has them in his life.
After reflecting on Marlen’s life, watching him interact with his students and members of the community, it is undeniably clear that his heart has left a firm imprint on all of our lives. While his humility would argue that the people of this town have been the support that has helped him lead a full, rewarding life, his students, friends, colleagues and family know that his service at both Summerville Elementary and High School has helped create an environment that fosters the very values that he holds close to his heart.
Doug Roberson, one of his athletes, thought of Mr. Ronten as the best coach who believed in him and got the best out of him.
“He took a bunch of so-so athletes and made them into champions,” he asserted.
These values have permeated the hearts of each generation and still continue to move everyone he knows.
Jonnie Kellogg writes, “In a time when so many young student athletes struggle to find positive role models, we at Summerville High School are very fortunate to have been touched by a true sportsman and gentleman.”
Marlen will be honored for his service to the school during it’s Homecoming Ceremony, which begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 25th.
