Marjorie Wahlgren

Marjorie Elizabeth Wahlgren passed away on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at the Marian Home in Fort Dodge, Iowa at the age of 96.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at Zion Lutheran Church, Gowrie with Pastor Brad Telleen officiating. Burial will be at Elfsborg Lutheran Church Cemetery in Pomeroy. There will be a visitation from 10:00 AM until the time of service at the church. Laufersweiler Palmer & Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Marjorie was born on January 29, 1928, to Oscar and Elizabeth (Beck) Jorth. She grew up on their family farm near Fostoria, Iowa. She received a teaching certificate in 1947 from Dana College (Blair, Nebraska) and that year began teaching elementary school at Ringsted, Iowa. In 1950 she received her B.A. from Luther College (Decorah, Iowa). On June 2, 1950, she was united in marriage to Donald Vernon Wahlgren at her home congregation, Bethany Lutheran in Spencer, Iowa.

In August 1950, Marjorie and Donald became missionary teachers, sponsored by American and Danish Lutheran churches, in Nigeria. They served in Africa for the next 12 years, with periodic returns to the U.S. for Donald to study to become a pastor. In 1962 Marjorie and Donald left Nigeria. They then served several Lutheran congregations in Iowa: Aurora, Cushing, Greene, rural Monticello, Hopkinton, and rural Tripoli. Marjorie and Donald retired to Gowrie in 1989.

Marjorie was a talented educator and writer. She worked part-time as a children's librarian and substitute teacher. She taught Confirmation and Sunday School classes for many years. She was very actively involved in church women's groups. She wrote for church magazines, devotion books, and Sunday School publications. She was very proud of her Danish heritage and volunteered at the Danish American Archives and Library in Blair, Nebraska.

Marjorie was preceded in death by her beloved husband Donald and daughter Carol; brothers Arnold, Curtis, Raymond, and Allan; sisters Sylvia Foreman and Pauline ("Pollie") Hahn. She is survived by her sisters Alice Blake and Carol MacMurray; her sons Curtis (Philadelphia), Peter (Betsy; Chicago), Philip (Marilyn; Greene, Iowa), daughter Mary (Fort Dodge; Iowa); grandchildren Kareem, Anthony (Kim), Austin (Brooke Paulus), and Jameela Wahlgren, Autumn (Zach) Taylor; great-grandchildren Nick Miller (Josi Andera), Mahayla Marzen, Braxton and Carsten Taylor.