LARAMIE, Wyo. - Marian Catherine Busig, 86, died on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, in Laramie, Wyo.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Island.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Friday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. March 6 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Laramie with Pastor Ralph Rohr officiating.
Mrs. Busig was born on March 24, 1923, in Grand Island to Frederich and Adeline Sorensen.
She married Henry William Busig on Jan. 5, 1941, in Grand Island. He died in 1998.
Survivors of the immediate family include two daughters and sons-in-law, Rosalind and Larry Linstrom of North Platte and Rhonda and Jerry Andersen of Laramie; one brother and sister-in-law, Arnold and Lola Sorensen of Antioch, Calif.; and one sister and brother-in-law, Janice and Ronald Falldorf of San Diego.
Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Michael Rayno, Kelly Jo Deterding, Mark Rayno, Mike (Dawn) Linstrom, Kelly Jean (Claude) Hoatson, Megan Andersen and Amber Andersen. Additional survivors include 10 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews. She also considered all of the "ladies" at the Ivinson Home her family, as well as the directors and everyone who worked there.
Marian graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 1940. Marian worked as a sales clerk at Jake's Bake Shop and a hostess at Conoco Cafe in Grand Island before moving to Laramie in 1978. She worked as a custodian at the University of Wyoming, retiring in 1987. She and her husband moved back to Grand Island and lived for 13 years before Marian returned to Laramie in 2000 to be closer to her family. She made her home at the Ivinson Home for Ladies in Laramie for the last nine years.
Marian was a loving and generous daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend who loved sports, especially the Wyoming football team. She made friends easily and often had visitors join her for lunch at the Ivinson Home. There really was no such thing as a "stranger" in Marian's life. If she had her way, she would have had a table of guests for lunch every day of the week. Although she was officially named the Wyoming Cowboy's Fan for Life in 2006, it may be more appropriate to say she made each and every person in her life feel as though she was their greatest fan. She will always be remembered for her positive outlook on life and her ability to find something amazing in every person she loved or met. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
In addition to her husband, Marian was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Viola (Gene) Wilson.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ivinson Home for Ladies or Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Online condolences may be directed through www.livson.com.
-----
FAN FOR LIFE, by Eve Newman
LARAMIE - Marian Busig sits in the hallway at the Ivinson Home for Ladies with her hands folded in her lap, waiting for her lunch guests to arrive. She wears a brown "Wyoming" T-shirt studded with gold pins over a gold blouse, with a corsage on her left wrist.
Then she hears University of Wyoming head football coach Joe Glenn's booming voice down the hallway preceding his arrival. Around the corner he comes with his wife, Michele, son, Casey, daughter-in-law, Shannon, daughter, Erin, and grandkids, Regan and Henry.
She passes out matching corsages for female guests as director Debi Ockers walks up and down the hallways playing a xylophone to summon everyone to lunch. Glenn leads the procession into the dining room, blows a whistle, then sits at the piano and plays "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" twice through as everyone sings along.
Though Marian Busig grew up in Grand Island, Neb., well within the realm of that Big Red football empire whose epicenter is Lincoln, Neb., don't ask her about the Huskers.
"I don't like to talk about that," she'll say. "That's just my second team."
And it's a second that's a long distance from her No. 1 team.
Busig, who lives in the shadow of War Memorial Stadium at the Ivinson Home for Ladies, expresses her affection for the University of Wyoming and her adopted state with her feet and her voice, attending every home game and scrimmage and cheering loudly for her boys in brown and gold.
Now the athletic department sends a cart to the home before games, but she used to walk despite two broken hips.
Though Glenn will tell you she befriended him, and she'll tell you he befriended her, the fact remains that Glenn has a special friendship with Busig and the ladies at the Ivinson Home.
Busig invited him over for a party when he first became the head coach, and since then, he and his family have made several appearances at the home at the invitation of Busig.
"I go over and play the piano a little bit and make a fool of myself," Glenn said.
Busig also adores Glenn's son, Casey, who is in his first year as the team's director of football operations.
"That family is just wonderful," she said. "They both sing. I don't think too many people have heard them."
The tall spruce trees that surround the home are so close to War Memorial Stadium that they practically shade the field when the sun shines from the southeast, and knowing he's got a dedicated fan living a parking lot away who won't miss a scrimmage - let alone a home game - is encouraging, Glenn said.
"They're our neighbors, and we like to be good neighbors," Glenn said. "I'm real happy for them that they've got that much spirit for college football games."
In the dining room, the booms and thumps of the marching band practicing at the stadium float through the open windows as Glenn speaks, telling the women about the players to watch.
Then his cell phone rings and he pauses to answer it: "Yes, Mr. President," he says, nodding a few times before hanging up.
"George Bush wishes the Cowboys would win!" he shouts, arms in the air. Everyone cheers and laughs and claps.
"OK, Casey and I planned that," he admits, and everyone laughs again.
Busig hangs on Glenn's every word, pumping her fists as he sings, grimacing when he talks about a player injury and hooting along with his jokes, laughing even before he gets to the punch line.
Busig, 84, moved to Laramie in 1978 with her husband, Henry, and worked at UW in the Biological Sciences building for 10 years. Henry died in 1998, but she's surrounded by a network of family and friends, including her daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Jerry Andersen, and their daughters, Megan and Amber, all UW grads.
Since 1981 she has attended almost every home football game and has seen nearly three decades' worth of coaches and players come and go. A former high school basketball player, she loves sports of any type and will tell you that UW has some of the best athletics and academics around.
Focusing that passion on the football team happened only after her professional life slowed down and her children grew up.
"I made that my life goal to do something in my life that's interesting and enjoyable, and that's why I like football," she said. "It's my life."
A family emergency caused her to miss one opening game recently, but that didn't keep her from her yearly tradition of writing a letter to the Boomerang urging everyone else to go and support the team.
Erin Glenn-Hash, Glenn's daughter, said the coach was "so excited" to see her letter in Friday's paper.
Busig remembered a game last year when the freezing weather weeded out the wimpy fans, but not her.
"I didn't freeze," she said. "I had so much energy that I never got cold."
Her devotion was recognized by the university last year when she was named a "Fan for Life," an athletics department feature to recognize die-hard fans at the games - a proud moment for her. Busig has a framed photo of herself being shown on the video board when she was honored, which sits on a bookshelf near her bed next to a framed, autographed picture of Glenn.
"It's just such a good feeling to sit there and know you're doing something for your college town," she said.
Glenn disappears with a flourish and a plateful of cookies after giving a high-five to every resident and guest, and lunch is served. Busig brags about her grandkids, which blends right into her bragging about the UW players.
She has the rock-steady optimism of a superfan when she talks about the upcoming game and the rest of the season.
"We're going to win," she says, nodding her head slowly. "I just don't know by how much."
Glenn gives her this year's media guide before he leaves. She has guides from the last few years filled with every player's signature and plans to do the same with her new one. They have become treasured possessions that sit by her bed, and she'll keep them for the rest of her life, she says.
Whether she's cheering in a packed stadium or shouting herself hoarse at a spring scrimmage, it's the brown and gold on the field that matter the most.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Island.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Friday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. March 6 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Laramie with Pastor Ralph Rohr officiating.
Mrs. Busig was born on March 24, 1923, in Grand Island to Frederich and Adeline Sorensen.
She married Henry William Busig on Jan. 5, 1941, in Grand Island. He died in 1998.
Survivors of the immediate family include two daughters and sons-in-law, Rosalind and Larry Linstrom of North Platte and Rhonda and Jerry Andersen of Laramie; one brother and sister-in-law, Arnold and Lola Sorensen of Antioch, Calif.; and one sister and brother-in-law, Janice and Ronald Falldorf of San Diego.
Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Michael Rayno, Kelly Jo Deterding, Mark Rayno, Mike (Dawn) Linstrom, Kelly Jean (Claude) Hoatson, Megan Andersen and Amber Andersen. Additional survivors include 10 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews. She also considered all of the "ladies" at the Ivinson Home her family, as well as the directors and everyone who worked there.
Marian graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 1940. Marian worked as a sales clerk at Jake's Bake Shop and a hostess at Conoco Cafe in Grand Island before moving to Laramie in 1978. She worked as a custodian at the University of Wyoming, retiring in 1987. She and her husband moved back to Grand Island and lived for 13 years before Marian returned to Laramie in 2000 to be closer to her family. She made her home at the Ivinson Home for Ladies in Laramie for the last nine years.
Marian was a loving and generous daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend who loved sports, especially the Wyoming football team. She made friends easily and often had visitors join her for lunch at the Ivinson Home. There really was no such thing as a "stranger" in Marian's life. If she had her way, she would have had a table of guests for lunch every day of the week. Although she was officially named the Wyoming Cowboy's Fan for Life in 2006, it may be more appropriate to say she made each and every person in her life feel as though she was their greatest fan. She will always be remembered for her positive outlook on life and her ability to find something amazing in every person she loved or met. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
In addition to her husband, Marian was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Viola (Gene) Wilson.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ivinson Home for Ladies or Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Online condolences may be directed through www.livson.com.
-----
FAN FOR LIFE, by Eve Newman
LARAMIE - Marian Busig sits in the hallway at the Ivinson Home for Ladies with her hands folded in her lap, waiting for her lunch guests to arrive. She wears a brown "Wyoming" T-shirt studded with gold pins over a gold blouse, with a corsage on her left wrist.
Then she hears University of Wyoming head football coach Joe Glenn's booming voice down the hallway preceding his arrival. Around the corner he comes with his wife, Michele, son, Casey, daughter-in-law, Shannon, daughter, Erin, and grandkids, Regan and Henry.
She passes out matching corsages for female guests as director Debi Ockers walks up and down the hallways playing a xylophone to summon everyone to lunch. Glenn leads the procession into the dining room, blows a whistle, then sits at the piano and plays "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" twice through as everyone sings along.
Though Marian Busig grew up in Grand Island, Neb., well within the realm of that Big Red football empire whose epicenter is Lincoln, Neb., don't ask her about the Huskers.
"I don't like to talk about that," she'll say. "That's just my second team."
And it's a second that's a long distance from her No. 1 team.
Busig, who lives in the shadow of War Memorial Stadium at the Ivinson Home for Ladies, expresses her affection for the University of Wyoming and her adopted state with her feet and her voice, attending every home game and scrimmage and cheering loudly for her boys in brown and gold.
Now the athletic department sends a cart to the home before games, but she used to walk despite two broken hips.
Though Glenn will tell you she befriended him, and she'll tell you he befriended her, the fact remains that Glenn has a special friendship with Busig and the ladies at the Ivinson Home.
Busig invited him over for a party when he first became the head coach, and since then, he and his family have made several appearances at the home at the invitation of Busig.
"I go over and play the piano a little bit and make a fool of myself," Glenn said.
Busig also adores Glenn's son, Casey, who is in his first year as the team's director of football operations.
"That family is just wonderful," she said. "They both sing. I don't think too many people have heard them."
The tall spruce trees that surround the home are so close to War Memorial Stadium that they practically shade the field when the sun shines from the southeast, and knowing he's got a dedicated fan living a parking lot away who won't miss a scrimmage - let alone a home game - is encouraging, Glenn said.
"They're our neighbors, and we like to be good neighbors," Glenn said. "I'm real happy for them that they've got that much spirit for college football games."
In the dining room, the booms and thumps of the marching band practicing at the stadium float through the open windows as Glenn speaks, telling the women about the players to watch.
Then his cell phone rings and he pauses to answer it: "Yes, Mr. President," he says, nodding a few times before hanging up.
"George Bush wishes the Cowboys would win!" he shouts, arms in the air. Everyone cheers and laughs and claps.
"OK, Casey and I planned that," he admits, and everyone laughs again.
Busig hangs on Glenn's every word, pumping her fists as he sings, grimacing when he talks about a player injury and hooting along with his jokes, laughing even before he gets to the punch line.
Busig, 84, moved to Laramie in 1978 with her husband, Henry, and worked at UW in the Biological Sciences building for 10 years. Henry died in 1998, but she's surrounded by a network of family and friends, including her daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Jerry Andersen, and their daughters, Megan and Amber, all UW grads.
Since 1981 she has attended almost every home football game and has seen nearly three decades' worth of coaches and players come and go. A former high school basketball player, she loves sports of any type and will tell you that UW has some of the best athletics and academics around.
Focusing that passion on the football team happened only after her professional life slowed down and her children grew up.
"I made that my life goal to do something in my life that's interesting and enjoyable, and that's why I like football," she said. "It's my life."
A family emergency caused her to miss one opening game recently, but that didn't keep her from her yearly tradition of writing a letter to the Boomerang urging everyone else to go and support the team.
Erin Glenn-Hash, Glenn's daughter, said the coach was "so excited" to see her letter in Friday's paper.
Busig remembered a game last year when the freezing weather weeded out the wimpy fans, but not her.
"I didn't freeze," she said. "I had so much energy that I never got cold."
Her devotion was recognized by the university last year when she was named a "Fan for Life," an athletics department feature to recognize die-hard fans at the games - a proud moment for her. Busig has a framed photo of herself being shown on the video board when she was honored, which sits on a bookshelf near her bed next to a framed, autographed picture of Glenn.
"It's just such a good feeling to sit there and know you're doing something for your college town," she said.
Glenn disappears with a flourish and a plateful of cookies after giving a high-five to every resident and guest, and lunch is served. Busig brags about her grandkids, which blends right into her bragging about the UW players.
She has the rock-steady optimism of a superfan when she talks about the upcoming game and the rest of the season.
"We're going to win," she says, nodding her head slowly. "I just don't know by how much."
Glenn gives her this year's media guide before he leaves. She has guides from the last few years filled with every player's signature and plans to do the same with her new one. They have become treasured possessions that sit by her bed, and she'll keep them for the rest of her life, she says.
Whether she's cheering in a packed stadium or shouting herself hoarse at a spring scrimmage, it's the brown and gold on the field that matter the most.
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Marian Catherine Busig, 86, died on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, in Laramie, Wyo.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Island.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Friday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. March 6 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Laramie with Pastor Ralph Rohr officiating.
Mrs. Busig was born on March 24, 1923, in Grand Island to Frederich and Adeline Sorensen.
She married Henry William Busig on Jan. 5, 1941, in Grand Island. He died in 1998.
Survivors of the immediate family include two daughters and sons-in-law, Rosalind and Larry Linstrom of North Platte and Rhonda and Jerry Andersen of Laramie; one brother and sister-in-law, Arnold and Lola Sorensen of Antioch, Calif.; and one sister and brother-in-law, Janice and Ronald Falldorf of San Diego.
Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Michael Rayno, Kelly Jo Deterding, Mark Rayno, Mike (Dawn) Linstrom, Kelly Jean (Claude) Hoatson, Megan Andersen and Amber Andersen. Additional survivors include 10 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews. She also considered all of the "ladies" at the Ivinson Home her family, as well as the directors and everyone who worked there.
Marian graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 1940. Marian worked as a sales clerk at Jake's Bake Shop and a hostess at Conoco Cafe in Grand Island before moving to Laramie in 1978. She worked as a custodian at the University of Wyoming, retiring in 1987. She and her husband moved back to Grand Island and lived for 13 years before Marian returned to Laramie in 2000 to be closer to her family. She made her home at the Ivinson Home for Ladies in Laramie for the last nine years.
Marian was a loving and generous daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend who loved sports, especially the Wyoming football team. She made friends easily and often had visitors join her for lunch at the Ivinson Home. There really was no such thing as a "stranger" in Marian's life. If she had her way, she would have had a table of guests for lunch every day of the week. Although she was officially named the Wyoming Cowboy's Fan for Life in 2006, it may be more appropriate to say she made each and every person in her life feel as though she was their greatest fan. She will always be remembered for her positive outlook on life and her ability to find something amazing in every person she loved or met. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
In addition to her husband, Marian was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Viola (Gene) Wilson.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ivinson Home for Ladies or Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Online condolences may be directed through www.livson.com.
-----
FAN FOR LIFE, by Eve Newman
LARAMIE - Marian Busig sits in the hallway at the Ivinson Home for Ladies with her hands folded in her lap, waiting for her lunch guests to arrive. She wears a brown "Wyoming" T-shirt studded with gold pins over a gold blouse, with a corsage on her left wrist.
Then she hears University of Wyoming head football coach Joe Glenn's booming voice down the hallway preceding his arrival. Around the corner he comes with his wife, Michele, son, Casey, daughter-in-law, Shannon, daughter, Erin, and grandkids, Regan and Henry.
She passes out matching corsages for female guests as director Debi Ockers walks up and down the hallways playing a xylophone to summon everyone to lunch. Glenn leads the procession into the dining room, blows a whistle, then sits at the piano and plays "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" twice through as everyone sings along.
Though Marian Busig grew up in Grand Island, Neb., well within the realm of that Big Red football empire whose epicenter is Lincoln, Neb., don't ask her about the Huskers.
"I don't like to talk about that," she'll say. "That's just my second team."
And it's a second that's a long distance from her No. 1 team.
Busig, who lives in the shadow of War Memorial Stadium at the Ivinson Home for Ladies, expresses her affection for the University of Wyoming and her adopted state with her feet and her voice, attending every home game and scrimmage and cheering loudly for her boys in brown and gold.
Now the athletic department sends a cart to the home before games, but she used to walk despite two broken hips.
Though Glenn will tell you she befriended him, and she'll tell you he befriended her, the fact remains that Glenn has a special friendship with Busig and the ladies at the Ivinson Home.
Busig invited him over for a party when he first became the head coach, and since then, he and his family have made several appearances at the home at the invitation of Busig.
"I go over and play the piano a little bit and make a fool of myself," Glenn said.
Busig also adores Glenn's son, Casey, who is in his first year as the team's director of football operations.
"That family is just wonderful," she said. "They both sing. I don't think too many people have heard them."
The tall spruce trees that surround the home are so close to War Memorial Stadium that they practically shade the field when the sun shines from the southeast, and knowing he's got a dedicated fan living a parking lot away who won't miss a scrimmage - let alone a home game - is encouraging, Glenn said.
"They're our neighbors, and we like to be good neighbors," Glenn said. "I'm real happy for them that they've got that much spirit for college football games."
In the dining room, the booms and thumps of the marching band practicing at the stadium float through the open windows as Glenn speaks, telling the women about the players to watch.
Then his cell phone rings and he pauses to answer it: "Yes, Mr. President," he says, nodding a few times before hanging up.
"George Bush wishes the Cowboys would win!" he shouts, arms in the air. Everyone cheers and laughs and claps.
"OK, Casey and I planned that," he admits, and everyone laughs again.
Busig hangs on Glenn's every word, pumping her fists as he sings, grimacing when he talks about a player injury and hooting along with his jokes, laughing even before he gets to the punch line.
Busig, 84, moved to Laramie in 1978 with her husband, Henry, and worked at UW in the Biological Sciences building for 10 years. Henry died in 1998, but she's surrounded by a network of family and friends, including her daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Jerry Andersen, and their daughters, Megan and Amber, all UW grads.
Since 1981 she has attended almost every home football game and has seen nearly three decades' worth of coaches and players come and go. A former high school basketball player, she loves sports of any type and will tell you that UW has some of the best athletics and academics around.
Focusing that passion on the football team happened only after her professional life slowed down and her children grew up.
"I made that my life goal to do something in my life that's interesting and enjoyable, and that's why I like football," she said. "It's my life."
A family emergency caused her to miss one opening game recently, but that didn't keep her from her yearly tradition of writing a letter to the Boomerang urging everyone else to go and support the team.
Erin Glenn-Hash, Glenn's daughter, said the coach was "so excited" to see her letter in Friday's paper.
Busig remembered a game last year when the freezing weather weeded out the wimpy fans, but not her.
"I didn't freeze," she said. "I had so much energy that I never got cold."
Her devotion was recognized by the university last year when she was named a "Fan for Life," an athletics department feature to recognize die-hard fans at the games - a proud moment for her. Busig has a framed photo of herself being shown on the video board when she was honored, which sits on a bookshelf near her bed next to a framed, autographed picture of Glenn.
"It's just such a good feeling to sit there and know you're doing something for your college town," she said.
Glenn disappears with a flourish and a plateful of cookies after giving a high-five to every resident and guest, and lunch is served. Busig brags about her grandkids, which blends right into her bragging about the UW players.
She has the rock-steady optimism of a superfan when she talks about the upcoming game and the rest of the season.
"We're going to win," she says, nodding her head slowly. "I just don't know by how much."
Glenn gives her this year's media guide before he leaves. She has guides from the last few years filled with every player's signature and plans to do the same with her new one. They have become treasured possessions that sit by her bed, and she'll keep them for the rest of her life, she says.
Whether she's cheering in a packed stadium or shouting herself hoarse at a spring scrimmage, it's the brown and gold on the field that matter the most.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Island.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Friday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. March 6 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Laramie with Pastor Ralph Rohr officiating.
Mrs. Busig was born on March 24, 1923, in Grand Island to Frederich and Adeline Sorensen.
She married Henry William Busig on Jan. 5, 1941, in Grand Island. He died in 1998.
Survivors of the immediate family include two daughters and sons-in-law, Rosalind and Larry Linstrom of North Platte and Rhonda and Jerry Andersen of Laramie; one brother and sister-in-law, Arnold and Lola Sorensen of Antioch, Calif.; and one sister and brother-in-law, Janice and Ronald Falldorf of San Diego.
Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Michael Rayno, Kelly Jo Deterding, Mark Rayno, Mike (Dawn) Linstrom, Kelly Jean (Claude) Hoatson, Megan Andersen and Amber Andersen. Additional survivors include 10 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews. She also considered all of the "ladies" at the Ivinson Home her family, as well as the directors and everyone who worked there.
Marian graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 1940. Marian worked as a sales clerk at Jake's Bake Shop and a hostess at Conoco Cafe in Grand Island before moving to Laramie in 1978. She worked as a custodian at the University of Wyoming, retiring in 1987. She and her husband moved back to Grand Island and lived for 13 years before Marian returned to Laramie in 2000 to be closer to her family. She made her home at the Ivinson Home for Ladies in Laramie for the last nine years.
Marian was a loving and generous daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend who loved sports, especially the Wyoming football team. She made friends easily and often had visitors join her for lunch at the Ivinson Home. There really was no such thing as a "stranger" in Marian's life. If she had her way, she would have had a table of guests for lunch every day of the week. Although she was officially named the Wyoming Cowboy's Fan for Life in 2006, it may be more appropriate to say she made each and every person in her life feel as though she was their greatest fan. She will always be remembered for her positive outlook on life and her ability to find something amazing in every person she loved or met. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
In addition to her husband, Marian was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Viola (Gene) Wilson.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ivinson Home for Ladies or Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Online condolences may be directed through www.livson.com.
-----
FAN FOR LIFE, by Eve Newman
LARAMIE - Marian Busig sits in the hallway at the Ivinson Home for Ladies with her hands folded in her lap, waiting for her lunch guests to arrive. She wears a brown "Wyoming" T-shirt studded with gold pins over a gold blouse, with a corsage on her left wrist.
Then she hears University of Wyoming head football coach Joe Glenn's booming voice down the hallway preceding his arrival. Around the corner he comes with his wife, Michele, son, Casey, daughter-in-law, Shannon, daughter, Erin, and grandkids, Regan and Henry.
She passes out matching corsages for female guests as director Debi Ockers walks up and down the hallways playing a xylophone to summon everyone to lunch. Glenn leads the procession into the dining room, blows a whistle, then sits at the piano and plays "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" twice through as everyone sings along.
Though Marian Busig grew up in Grand Island, Neb., well within the realm of that Big Red football empire whose epicenter is Lincoln, Neb., don't ask her about the Huskers.
"I don't like to talk about that," she'll say. "That's just my second team."
And it's a second that's a long distance from her No. 1 team.
Busig, who lives in the shadow of War Memorial Stadium at the Ivinson Home for Ladies, expresses her affection for the University of Wyoming and her adopted state with her feet and her voice, attending every home game and scrimmage and cheering loudly for her boys in brown and gold.
Now the athletic department sends a cart to the home before games, but she used to walk despite two broken hips.
Though Glenn will tell you she befriended him, and she'll tell you he befriended her, the fact remains that Glenn has a special friendship with Busig and the ladies at the Ivinson Home.
Busig invited him over for a party when he first became the head coach, and since then, he and his family have made several appearances at the home at the invitation of Busig.
"I go over and play the piano a little bit and make a fool of myself," Glenn said.
Busig also adores Glenn's son, Casey, who is in his first year as the team's director of football operations.
"That family is just wonderful," she said. "They both sing. I don't think too many people have heard them."
The tall spruce trees that surround the home are so close to War Memorial Stadium that they practically shade the field when the sun shines from the southeast, and knowing he's got a dedicated fan living a parking lot away who won't miss a scrimmage - let alone a home game - is encouraging, Glenn said.
"They're our neighbors, and we like to be good neighbors," Glenn said. "I'm real happy for them that they've got that much spirit for college football games."
In the dining room, the booms and thumps of the marching band practicing at the stadium float through the open windows as Glenn speaks, telling the women about the players to watch.
Then his cell phone rings and he pauses to answer it: "Yes, Mr. President," he says, nodding a few times before hanging up.
"George Bush wishes the Cowboys would win!" he shouts, arms in the air. Everyone cheers and laughs and claps.
"OK, Casey and I planned that," he admits, and everyone laughs again.
Busig hangs on Glenn's every word, pumping her fists as he sings, grimacing when he talks about a player injury and hooting along with his jokes, laughing even before he gets to the punch line.
Busig, 84, moved to Laramie in 1978 with her husband, Henry, and worked at UW in the Biological Sciences building for 10 years. Henry died in 1998, but she's surrounded by a network of family and friends, including her daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Jerry Andersen, and their daughters, Megan and Amber, all UW grads.
Since 1981 she has attended almost every home football game and has seen nearly three decades' worth of coaches and players come and go. A former high school basketball player, she loves sports of any type and will tell you that UW has some of the best athletics and academics around.
Focusing that passion on the football team happened only after her professional life slowed down and her children grew up.
"I made that my life goal to do something in my life that's interesting and enjoyable, and that's why I like football," she said. "It's my life."
A family emergency caused her to miss one opening game recently, but that didn't keep her from her yearly tradition of writing a letter to the Boomerang urging everyone else to go and support the team.
Erin Glenn-Hash, Glenn's daughter, said the coach was "so excited" to see her letter in Friday's paper.
Busig remembered a game last year when the freezing weather weeded out the wimpy fans, but not her.
"I didn't freeze," she said. "I had so much energy that I never got cold."
Her devotion was recognized by the university last year when she was named a "Fan for Life," an athletics department feature to recognize die-hard fans at the games - a proud moment for her. Busig has a framed photo of herself being shown on the video board when she was honored, which sits on a bookshelf near her bed next to a framed, autographed picture of Glenn.
"It's just such a good feeling to sit there and know you're doing something for your college town," she said.
Glenn disappears with a flourish and a plateful of cookies after giving a high-five to every resident and guest, and lunch is served. Busig brags about her grandkids, which blends right into her bragging about the UW players.
She has the rock-steady optimism of a superfan when she talks about the upcoming game and the rest of the season.
"We're going to win," she says, nodding her head slowly. "I just don't know by how much."
Glenn gives her this year's media guide before he leaves. She has guides from the last few years filled with every player's signature and plans to do the same with her new one. They have become treasured possessions that sit by her bed, and she'll keep them for the rest of her life, she says.
Whether she's cheering in a packed stadium or shouting herself hoarse at a spring scrimmage, it's the brown and gold on the field that matter the most.
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