Margaret Jane (Lee) Vigdahl 1921-2020

VIGDAL, LEE, BROOKS

Posted By: Barry R Huntsinger (email)
Date: 11/8/2020 at 07:40:28

Margaret Jane Vigdal, was born October 31, 1921 in Armstrong, Iowa to Ellen A (Brooks) Lee and Roy Lee. She passed peacefully on Oct 23, 2020 just 8 days short of her 99th birthday.

Margaret was adopted shortly after her mother’s death by her maternal grandparents, Thomas E Brooks and Margaret M (Holland) Brooks who were living in Albert Lea, MN. The family moved back to Armstrong where Margaret grew up and attended school to the 10th grade where she was a cheerleader for Armstrong High School. Those that knew her knew she was a cheerful leader the remainder of her life.

Margaret married Harry Vigdal on July 5, 1938 at the Little Brown Church in the Vale, Nashua, Iowa. They had four sons, Larry, Robert, Paul, and Dan. Paul unfortunately died shortly after birth.

The family moved to the Vigdal Farm 5 ½ miles north of the Armstrong Catholic Church and she became a member of Nazareth Lutheran Church in Armstrong. Harry and Margaret farmed along with Benjamin and Bertha Vigdal (Harry’s parents). They later purchased that farm and grew a great herd of milking cows and installed the first Grade A Dairy Farm in the Armstrong area. They farmed the dairy farm and raised their family on the farm until 1968.

Margaret and Harry moved into town in 1968 where Margaret owned and published the Town and Country Shopper weekly. She worked tirelessly to send all the weekend grocery and sales deals out by Thursday every week. She sold the business in 1971 when she took the job of City Clerk for Armstrong. She retired from City Clerk in 1988 and in 1989 Harry and Margaret moved to St Paul, MN to be closer to the rest of the family who all lived in the Twin Cities area.

Margaret became a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Highland Park and served on that church council and was so happy to work in the kitchen for many “church family” events and was co-chair of the annual bazaar. She also enjoyed being a regular member at game day every other Friday at St. Luke; cribbage was her game.

Margaret enjoyed sewing, fishing, bowling, playing cards and was always up for an afternoon of good toboggan sliding.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Margaret Brooks and Ellen Brooks; husband, Harry; sons, Larry, Robert, and Paul Vigdal; brothers, Thomas Brooks and Francis Brooks.

Margaret is survived by her son, Dan (Deborah) Vigdal; daughters-in-law, Carol Wagner (Larry) Vigdal and Kay Merfeld (Robert) Vigdal; six grandchildren, six great- grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

A visitation was held Friday, October 30, 2020 at the Nazareth Lutheran Church in Armstrong. Burial was at Armstrong Grove Cemetery.

(Source: Henry-Olson Funeral Home, Estherville, Iowa.)