Marjorie A. Carlson

Marjorie A. Carlson, 84, died March 2, 2016, at Sanford Health Continuing Care Center Off Collins in Mandan. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 26, at Golden Manor Care Center Chapel in Steele, ND. Marjorie Alice Lambert was born in Hazelton Township, Kittson County, MN, to Archie and Julianne Lambert (nee Norum) on December 15, 1931. She was the sixth and final child. She became affectionately known as “Mie” to her sisters. Marjorie somehow survived the various antics of her siblings, especially the ones from her sister, Grace. As a child, Marjorie was not fond of the rock picking duties associated with her childhood family farm. Marjorie graduated from Lake Bronson High School and then obtained her teacher’s certificate from what was then known as Bemidji State Teachers College. She accepted a teaching position in St. Hilaire, MN, where she met a local farmer who became the love her life, E. Dale Carlson. Marjorie and Dale were married on June 22, 1954, in Kittson County at Two Rivers Lutheran Church where she had been baptized and confirmed. Marjorie and Dale were blessed with six children over the next few years. As the children came, she transitioned into substitute teaching and being a farm wife and mother. It was important to Marjorie and Dale that the children were taken to church and Calvary Lutheran in St. Hilaire became their church home. Farm life gave much happiness to Marjorie, but Dale’s ill health forced selling the farm and they moved to Arizona in 1989 where they made a new home in Arizona City. Their new church home became Central Lutheran in Arizona City. Great sadness came into Marjorie’s life in August 1993 when Dale passed away. Marjorie continued to live in Arizona and worked part-time at various jobs for a number of years. Marjorie most recently lived with her daughter Ruth in Steele, ND, until health issues necessitated admission into Sanford Off Collins nursing facility in November 2015. Simple pleasures remained a source of great joy for Marjorie throughout life. Even in the last few weeks of life she found great pleasure in simple things. She talked for days about the Girl Scouts singing Christmas Carols at Sanford Off Collins and also delighted in hearing about twin sons being born into the Pastor DeBoer family. Marjorie died peacefully in her sleep the morning of March 2, 2016, at Sanford Off Collins, Mandan, ND, only to waken into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Cremation has taken place and her remains will be laid to rest next to the remains of her husband at Valley of the Sun Cemetery in Chandler, AZ. Surviving to cherish her memory are her children, Janet Schermbeck (Chris) of Kettering, OH, Wanda Sobotka of Westminster, CO, Barry Carlson of Hopkins, MN, Ruth Carlson of Steele, ND, Kathryn Noel of Harlem, MT, and Nancy Kittelson (Robin) of Enderlin, ND; her grandchildren, Jeffrey Carlson, Alyssa Scheve (Dan), Justin Kittelson, Jared Kittelson, Matthew Kittelson, Trent Noel, and step-grandson, Andy Noel; a very special sister, Elizabeth Lambert, of Karlstad, MN; sister-in law, Adeline Ruckdeschel of Merrit Island, FL; brother-in-law, Ted Smit of Arizona City, AZ; aunt, Gladys Burnell of Dixon, IL; and several cousins; numerous nieces and nephews. Marjorie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dale; brothers, Harold and Phillip; sisters, Dorothy Flaherty and Grace Smit; sisters-in-law, Millie Lambert, Rose Lambert, Esther Theis, and Bernice Dahl; brothers-in-law, Larry Flaherty, Robert Ruckdeschel, and Louis Thies; and numerous other relatives.