Mrs. FREDERICK (Marion Skagen) FUERSTE 1924-2005

HANSEN, SKAGEN, FUERSTE, SMITH, LIABOE, ROACH

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 3/8/2005 at 21:47:50

Marion (Skagen) Fuerste

Marion (Skagen) Fuerste, 81, of 130 S. Booth St., died Wednesday evening, March 2, 2005, at home, with her children by her side.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Linwood Cemetery. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home, 2659 Kennedy Road. Friends also may call after 9 a.m. Monday at the church.

She was born on Jan. 31, 1924, in Bessemer, Mich., daughter of Cornelia (Hansen) and Olaf Skagen. Following the early death of her parents, Marion was raised by her grandparents, Cornelius and Oleanna Hansen, and later by her aunt, Astrid Hansen.

She graduated from Bessemer High School in 1942, and entered the Augustana School of Nursing in Chicago.

Following graduation as a registered nurse in 1945, she headed west to Cheyenne, Wyo., where nurses were needed at the Veterans Hospital. There she met and later married Frederick Fuerste, a doctor in the Navy.

After her marriage on Dec. 28, 1948, Marion worked as a nurse while Frederick completed his Ophthalmology Residency in Milwaukee and an Ophthalmology Fellowship in St. Louis. The couple returned to Dubuque in January 1953, when Frederick assumed his father's (Frederick Sr. and his wife, June) Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat practice, and Marion specialized in Ophthalmic Surgical Nursing.

Marion and Frederick raised six children in Dubuque. They rarely missed the academic, band and sporting events of each of their children. Both parents spent hours on homework and music tutorials, despite their professional schedules.

Marion eventually assumed the role of accountant for The Fuerste Eye Clinic, computerizing the finances and payroll.

She attended the University of Dubuque, taking classes in English and German. She took flying lessons from Al Beyer at the Dubuque Regional Airport. Marion successfully completed solo flights to Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, always returning home in time to fix dinner for her family. She also played tennis, water-skied and organized family ski trips to Colorado.

She served on the Grand Opera House Foundation and worked diligently on their business issues. She particularly loved Hunter's musicals, attending each performance as an usher or in her reserved mother's seat in the second row.

She was very active in several committees, particularly the American Field Service arranging exchanges of high school students to and from foreign countries.

After retirement, Marion volunteered at Prescott Elementary School, tutoring children in reading. She took great pride and joy in this task and quit only because of her declining health.

She was an active member of The Birthday Club, serving as president from 1971 to 1979 (a double term). She also bowled on a league where she lead the team in low scoring three consecutive years.

Marion skillfully balanced a professional and home life with her family. Throughout all her endeavors, she maintained a fierce love and loyalty to her husband and children.

She is already missed but her lessons are long instilled.

Surviving are six children, Nanette (Bob) Smith, Gretchen (Mark Liaboe) Fuerste, Frederick Hunter, Charles (Donnelle) Rommel, Madeline Louise and Garth Rodman; and nine grandchildren, Rory and Sydney Smith, Lauren, Fritz and Chase Liaboe, Wade and Cole Fuerste and Jamie and Ryan (Trisha Hefel) Roach. She also leaves the entire Fuerste Eye Clinic and Optical staff, whom she loved dearly. In addition, Marion developed a deep love and respect for her caretakers of the past two years, Shirley Rave, Jodi Rave Delaney, Polly Rave Goerdt, Sharon Ambrose, Pat McCann and Kathy Welp.

She also was preceded in death by her husband, Frederick, on Feb. 25, 2003; a brother; and four sisters.

Memorials may be given to Operation New View and the Grand Opera House Foundation.

Copyright 2005 Telegraph Herald