Polly Rae Wollenweber was born to Clark Louis and Memory Iris (Long) Wollenweber in Fort Morgan, Colorado on May 16, 1955. She was delivered by her Grandma Polly’s brother, Dr. Paul Woodward, who also delivered Polly‘s mother and all three of Polly’s siblings. The Woodwards came to Colorado in the early 1900’s, settling north of Brush where they farmed, ranched, raised and raced thoroughbred horses. Cowgirls and cowboys were a proud part of Polly’s heritage. She was a cowgirl at heart.

Polly was raised in Arvada, Colorado where her parents moved when she was born. She is third of four children: Clark Louis, Memory Gae, and Wesley Paul Wollenweber.

When Polly was five, she marched in her first Harvest Festival parade as the mascot for the Arvada Junior High Warriors. She was entered in numerous Little Miss Beauty Pageants and won the title of Little Miss Arvada. Polly’s main talent was baton twirling; in which she excelled tremendously.  Her trophies filled the house; most notable was her title: Miss Majorette of Colorado. With that honor came competition in the Miss Majorette of America pageant.

Polly had a brain for science and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 1976 with a degree in nursing. Her nursing career included serving as the St. Anthony Hospital Charge Nurse in Cardiac Intensive Care, a cardiac nurse for St. Anthony and Lutheran Hospital heart surgeons and cardiologists, and as a hospice nurse for Denver Hospice. She loved nursing just as much as her patients respected and loved her.

When Polly was 22 years old, she married Ronnie Leon Jesse on April 15, 1977 in Las Vegas. To them were born Moorea Requika and Marissa Joy. The girls were their absolute pride and joy.

After 38 years of marriage, Ronnie predeceased Polly on October 7, 2015. She is survived by her oldest daughter Moorea and fiancé Mike Carbone, her beloved granddaughter Telynn Rae, youngest daughter Marissa, sister Memory Wollenweber, brother Wes Wollenweber and wife Rosemary Cazares, and numerous family members and friends; in which most of them still reside in Arvada, CO.

Funeral Services for Polly will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024. A viewing will be at 10:00 am followed by a service starting at 10:30 am.

Polly will be laid to rest at Bald Mountain Cemetery in Nevadaville, CO. Additional details about her graveside service will be added soon.