Born on February 8, 1936, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and raised in Fremont, Nebraska, Coleen arrived in Lincoln in 1954 to attend Nebraska Wesleyan University. What began as a college education became a lifelong devotion to the city she would call home for more than six decades. She graduated in 1958 with degrees in Political Science and Sociology, beginning a life’s work centered on community.
Coleen’s commitment to civic engagement began at the neighborhood level. In the 1970s, she helped form the Lincoln Alliance, a coalition of churches, neighborhood groups, and residents determined to challenge barriers to public participation through transparency and representation. Coleen never backed away from that work. She believed deeply that communities thrive when residents have a voice, and she carried that belief throughout her career.
Her home base was the University Place neighborhood, where she became a key leader of the University Place Community Organization (UPCO). Through UPCO, she supported neighborhood improvements and helped launch what would become the Northeast Family Resource Center, a vital community institution serving youth and families in northeast Lincoln.
Professionally, Coleen dedicated two decades as Director of Community Ministries at First United Methodist Church, where she fostered connections between the church and the wider community and offered support to community members who were homebound. Her work at FUMC reflected her belief that communities thrive when people collaborate with partnership and goodwill. She later served as president of the Lincoln Fellowship of Churches, now the Lincoln Interfaith Council, and remained actively involved in interfaith initiatives throughout her life.
Coleen’s civic leadership naturally grew into public service. In 1987, she was elected to represent northeast Lincoln on the Lincoln City Council, a seat she held for 16 years. Her tenure was marked by accessibility and an unwavering commitment to listening. She hosted monthly citizens’ meetings at two locations, often found with her Diet Pepsi and Franklin Planner in hand, inviting residents to be more involved. She worked to strengthen communication between local businesses and city government and served on numerous boards and task forces, including the Mayor’s Multicultural Task Force, the Railroad Transportation Safety District, Governor Nelson’s Urban Advisory Team, and the Lincoln/Lancaster County Joint Budget Committee.
During her years on the City Council, Coleen was a bridge builder, helping people navigate differences and find common ground. She was a respected, steady leader known for her integrity, humility, and kindness.
In 2003, after the incumbent mayor unexpectedly declined to seek reelection, Coleen entered the mayoral race. With little time to prepare and running against a well-funded opponent, she relied on neighborhood leaders, volunteers, and a grassroots, low-budget campaign fueled by years of relationships and trust. Her victory surprised political observers but not the countless residents who knew her work firsthand.
Coleen was Lincoln’s 50th Mayor and only the second woman to hold the office. She led with the same qualities that defined her entire life: patience, humor, even-tempered confidence, and servant leadership. She guided major neighborhood revitalization efforts and supported long-term planning for Lincoln’s growth.
Coleen’s contributions brought numerous awards and honors, including multiple person of the year awards, the Girl Scouts of America Silver Trefoil, YWCA Tribute to Women, Northeast Lincoln Kiwanis Citizen of the Year, Lincoln Rotary Outstanding Citizen and Outstanding Rotarian Awards from from the Lincoln Rotary Clubs, and Founder’s Award from the Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable. In 2022, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Nebraska Wesleyan University in recognition of her extraordinary impact.
Perhaps the most meaningful recognition came in 2018, when the City of Lincoln renamed the long-standing University Place Park in her honor. Coleen believed the naming commemorated the Seng family legacy of building in University Place. Seng Park stands as a living tribute to that history, as well as to Coleen’s decades of service, leadership in northeast Lincoln, and unwavering belief in the power of community.
While dedicated to serving her community, Coleen’s family was her top priority. Growing up in Fremont with her parents, Otis and Helen MacElwain, her dad owned a welding, machine shop and repair business and the family frequently traveled to Iowa for family get-togethers. After graduating from Fremont High School, she attended Nebraska Wesleyan University, where she met her future husband, Darrel. Following commencement, she was off to Saginaw, Michigan, where she worked for the Girl Scouts of America from 1958 to 1960. Darrel didn’t let distance deter him. Then a grad student at Northwestern University, he visited the Girl Scout camp. Coleen regaled all with stories of a group of Brownies taking him out in a canoe. They married October 22, 1960.
Settling in Lincoln, Darrel served as Director of Publicity at Wesleyan, and Coleen continued her work for the Girl Scouts in Lincoln (1961-1962). As their three children were born Marcee (1962), Chris (1964) and Phil (1970), their lives centered around extended family, neighborhood schools, Wesleyan, and First United Methodist Church. The children grew up playing on the sidelines of Plainsman basketball and football games and attending plays at the Brownville Theater, where Wesleyan drama students performed each summer. The children explored every nook and cranny of First Church as they helped Coleen with everything from community dinners to Peacemaking Workshops.
When Coleen was encouraged to run for Lincoln City Council, Darrel served as her most fervent supporter and campaign manager. The children pitched in by putting up yard signs and attending neighborhood gatherings. Darrel’s passing in 1993 was a great personal loss, and when the opportunity to run for Mayor presented itself, Coleen knew he would want her to go for it. In his absence, Marcee, along with family and friends, stepped in to offer the support he would have provided.
When grandchildren came along, Coleen welcomed them to the Mayor’s office and to ride in the Star City Christmas parade. Coming to Grandma Seng’s for Christmas meant a feast of chicken fried steak, ringing the bells at First Church, and hosting the annual Seng Christmas Open House. One of her greatest joys was watching her grandchildren carry forward her legacy through community service, continued ties to Nebraska Wesleyan, a shared interest in community service and politics, and, for her youngest granddaughter, proudly continuing the Girl Scout tradition. Shortly before her passing, Coleen was able to meet and hold her first great-grandchild, a special moment for her and her family.
Cherishing Coleen’s memory are her three children: Marcee of Lincoln, Chris (Stephanie) of Ft. Collins, CO, and Phil (Mary Beth) of Lincoln; four grandchildren: Will Seng (Lauren), Jonah Seng (Lianne), Olivia Seng (Addy Holmes) all of Ft. Collins, and Eleanor Seng of Lincoln; and great-grandson, Christopher Joseph Seng, of Ft. Collins. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
Her loving presence and wise guidance will also be missed by extended family, friends, neighbors, and generations of Lincoln residents whose lives were touched by her kindness and leadership. To her family, she was a devoted mother and grandmother. To neighbors, she was an advocate and friend. To colleagues, she was a calm center in the storm. To the city she loved, she was a champion of community, fairness, and hope.
Coleen often reminded those around her that building community takes patience and courage. She lived those values every day helping Lincoln become a place where engagement is expected, neighborhoods have power, and every person has the chance to be heard.
Memorial service: 11:00 am Saturday, December 20, 2025, First United Methodist Church, 2723 N. 50th St. Prior private interment.
Visitation with family present from 5-7 pm, Friday, December 19, 2025, Roper and sons Midtown Chapel, 4300 O St.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to First United Methodist Church, Nebraska Wesleyan University, or Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska.