Faith Kornelsen

Faith passed away on May 12, 2026, at the age of 92. She will be remembered for her steadfast faith, gracious spirit, and the quiet strength with which she loved and served others. Her life stands as a testament to the dignity of a long journey well-lived.

Faith was born and raised on a farm in Hillsboro, Kansas. She was the oldest of three children, with a sister, Sylvia Kornelsen, and a brother, Ken Foth. Her parents were Dan and Tena Foth. She grew up attending Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church and deeply valued the rich family heritage she inherited through generations of involvement in the church’s 150-year history. She graduated from Hillsboro High School and later attended Tabor College, where she met the love of her life, Rodney Kornelsen. Faith and Rodney were married June 1953 and shared 57 years of marriage before Rodney preceded her in death in 2010. During those early years, Faith supported Rodney as he completed his degree at the University of Kansas. After his graduation, they moved to Denver, Colorado. Faith and Rodney were among the founding members of Garden Park Mennonite Brethren Church in Denver, established in 1955. Alongside many other devoted couples, they gave countless evenings and weekends to help complete the church building in 1960. Faith served as the 1st organist for the church, along with many opportunities to serve that came along over the nearly 20 years they attended there.

In 1962, Faith and Rodney joined a group of families in establishing Deer Creek Christian Camp near Bailey, Colorado.

Faith & Rodney also attended and served at Denver First Church of the Nazarene, Scottsdale Bible Church, Bellview Acres Mennonite Brethren Church and Rockland Community Church. They also were devotedly involved Youth For Christ, Worldwide Leadership, Jesus Film (Campus Crusade) giving of their time, talent and resources as God directed. They have full and rich memories of these years. Faith demonstrated leadership by organizing Christian Women’s Club events, creating meaningful connections for women in our community

They raised 2 daughters, Carol Newman (Robb) and Jacque Kornelsen and enjoyed one grandson Sam Kornelsen. They also enjoyed the 8 international children (exchange students) that Carol & Robb brought into the family.

In Denver, Faith began her career at Blue Cross Blue Shield, where she was among the first female computer programmers.

In 1965, she helped Rodney build their dream home in Lakewood. She then became a stay-at-home mom while also serving as the administrator and bookkeeper for Rodney’s growing commercial real estate development business.

In the late 1970s, Faith combined her love of travel with her entrepreneurial spirit by training as a travel consultant, which opened the door to extraordinary opportunities to explore the world. She specialized in cruises of all kinds. This led to becoming a Windjammer Cruise Representative and built a strong regional business. She created the role for herself and was the first person in the company to hold it. She also enjoyed organizing evening travel shows with a close friend and coordinating group travel events.

In 1984, Faith and Rodney began dividing their time between Colorado and Scottsdale, eventually settling in Arizona full-time in 2006. After Rodney’s death, Faith continued to create meaningful memories for her family by planning special trips and sharing beloved places with her daughters and their families. In 2022, she returned to Colorado to live with her daughters, and her family remains deeply grateful for those four additional years together.

Faith is survived in death by her two daughters: Carol & Jacque: Grandchild: Sam; and Brother Ken Foth

A Celebration of Life is planned for 1pm on July 18 at Rockland Community Church 17 S. Mt Vernon Country Club Road, Golden CO.

A private committal service took place at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale AZ on May 19, 2026

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jesus Film

Please share memories and condolences with Faith’s family by signing the guestbook.