In Memory of Marie E. Carlson

Marie E. Carlson, age 94, of Cambridge died November 11, 2012 at GracePointe Crossing Gables West. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, November 17th at Strike Funeral Home – Cambridge Chapel with Deacon Gene Kramer officiating.  A time for visiting will be held one hour prior to the service. 

Marie Elmira Carlson was born on August 19, 1918 in Morris, Minnesota, the sixth child and first of four daughters born to Pierre and Henrietta (Richard) Lamoureux.  The family lived through the Great Depression and in many different places when Marie was growing up, most notably in Oto, Iowa and Northome, Minnesota.  With no high schools in Koochiching County, MN, Marie was fortunate to be involved in a program that allowed her to live with a family and work for her room and board while attending high school in Grand Rapids, MN and graduating in 1939.

After high school she worked as a telephone operator in Northome for George and Rosemary Sandberg.  Rosemary wanted to “fix Marie up” with her brother, Albert, so when Marie moved to St. Paul, MN and worked as a waitress at the Angus Hotel, she met Al for the first time in December of 1942 in the lobby of the Angus, and after a whirlwind courtship they married on January 23, 1943 in Wadena, MN.  They had their first son, Clark, while living in Omaha, Nebraska where Al was stationed in the Army.  After Albert was discharged from the service, they made their home in St. Paul and welcomed Linda and Bill to the family.  In 1949 they moved to Anoka, MN where Patricia and Lisa were born.

In June of 1963 Marie and Al purchased the Oak Grove Motel and moved the family to Cambridge, MN.  Al continued his job as an over-the-road truck driver while Marie operated the motel, making many lifelong friends.  In 1974 they sold the motel, bought a home in Isanti and lived there until moving to Florida in 1980, spending many enjoyable years in the sun and warmth.  In 1994 they returned to Cambridge to be closer to the family.  When Al died in 1999, Marie moved into the Ashland Place Apartments in Cambridge until moving to GracePointe Crossing nursing home in July of 2010.  Marie passed away peacefully at GracePointe Crossing on November 11, 2012 at the age of 94 years.

Marie was preceded in death by her husband, Albert; her parents; brothers, Jules, Noel, Richard and two infant brothers; sister, Lorraine; and grandson, Brady Johnson.  She is survived by her children, Clark (Margaret) of Coon Rapids, Linda (Wayne) Bruss of Cambridge, William of Sandstone, Patricia (Charles) Johnson of Cambridge and Lisa (Jeffrey) Peterson of Cambridge; grandchildren, Barry (Paula) Bruss, Corey (Kirstin) Bruss, Benjamin (Machelle) Bruss, Brooke (Dan) Timp, Blake Johnson, Perry (Maggie) Johnson, Reid Peterson, Mitchell Peterson and Eric Peterson; ten great-grandchildren; sisters, Geraldine Narducci and Marguerite Baglio; and sisters-in-law, Gladys Lamoureux, Pauline Fiskin and Sharon Goff.