Marlin Oliver Rudser

Marlin Oliver Rudser was born on June 27, 1946, in Los Angeles, California, to Marlin Olav Rudser and Betty Jane Greene. He was their only child.
For much of his youth, it was just Marlin and his father. Later in life, his father remarried, and Marlin gained a stepmother, Dee.
Marlin spent most of his childhood in the foothills of California, fishing, riding his bike, shooting his rifle, and likely causing a bit of general mischief. As a young man, he held many jobs, including shooting predators on a chicken farm, working on the salmon spawning ladder at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, and later at Irvine Bingham's veterinary clinic.
He served a two-year mission in Florida, an experience he greatly cherished, and he loved sharing stories from that time throughout his life.
Marlin met his wife, Claudia, at a church function in California. After dating for a year, they were married in 1969 in the Oakland Temple. While living in the Bay Area, they enjoyed walks and flying kites on the beach, roasting marshmallows over beach fires, and watching the rabbits come out at dusk. After a year, they decided to leave the Bay Area and return to Idaho.
They lived in Boise for five years, where Claudia taught elementary school and Marlin attended Boise State University while working at J.C. Penney selling shoes.
In 1973, they welcomed their first child, Tayna Angeline. At the time, they lived in a place that did not allow children, but thankfully Marlin was the groundskeeper, so they made an exception.
In 1975, the family moved to Blackfoot so Marlin could work at Stoddard Elementary School. That same year, they purchased their first new car and first home on Marlin's school contract of $8,000 a year. Their son, Kristopher Marlin, was born in 1976, followed by their youngest daughter, Lynzee Marie, in 1979.
As a young father, Marlin worked tirelessly to provide for his family. During summers and school breaks, he took on side jobs and cut firewood in the mountains. He loved taking his family camping, flying kites with his children, spending time outdoors, and creating simple but meaningful memories.
Marlin and Claudia shared nearly 55 years of marriage. The past two years without his beloved wife were very difficult for him, and he missed her deeply every day.
Marlin worked at Stoddard Elementary School from 1975 until his retirement in 2008, dedicating 33 years to teaching-always in the fourth or fifth grade. He was incredibly proud of his career and loved talking about his former students. One of his greatest joys was running into them around town and being recognized.
In his free time, Marlin enjoyed fishing, tying flies, bow fishing, crafting with paracord, and caring for the birds and squirrels that visited his yard.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Tayna Angeline, by his half-brother, Alsen Edward Inman (Bud), and by Claudia, his wife of nearly 55 years.
He is survived by his son, Kristopher Rudser, daughter-in-law Jennifer Rudser, and their six sons, Edward Parker, Noah Cooke, Joseph Zacharias, Alexander Hutton, Joshua Miller and Daniel Wendland, of Nampa, Idaho; his daughter, Lynzee Schram, son-in-law Eric Schram, and their two sons, Finnegan Oliver and Ronan Jon, of Placerville, California; and his half-siblings, Betty Palmer, Edie Bentley, and George Palmer.
Marlin was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed. We take comfort in our faith, knowing that he has returned home to our Heavenly Father and that we will see him again.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Hawker Funeral Home. A viewing will be held at 10:00 a.m. prior to the service. Grave interment will follow at Grove City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please bring a card or note sharing a memory of Marlin for the family's scrapbook.