Marjorie Adele (Stowell) Gregory (1918-2016)

GREGORY, STOWELL, OLANDER, BJORKLUND, LUNDELL, WAHL, GILBERTSON, OLSEN, ARMSTRONG, DIXSON, LOUCKS, PULKRABECK

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/30/2016 at 18:42:16

Obituary from Benson & Langehough Funeral Home & Cremation, Northfield, Minnesota.

Marjorie Adele (Stowell) Gregory, was born at home May 14, 1918 to Eva Mae and Willard Stowell in St. Paul, MN. She died May 17, 2016 at her home in Millstream Commons in Northfield, MN with family by her side.

Family was always at the center of Marjorie’s life. The youngest of three daughters, she stayed in close contact with her sisters and parents throughout their lives.

Marjorie graduated from Central High School, in St. Paul in 1936. As a junior in college, she was elected to the honorary organization of Mortar Board, graduated from the University of MN with a double major in Related Arts & Design and Home Economics in 1940, and then taught home economics for one year. While she was still in college, David Gregory, a graduate student, fell in love with her the first time he saw her on homecoming day. David loved to tell the story of how he saw “the prettiest girl in the yellow sweater” on the campus of the U of MN and how he was going to marry her. He found out who she was and called her, asking her to go to the homecoming dance that night. Marjorie refused, “because I already had a date,” and she didn’t even know who he was. (She thought he was rather forward.) But he eventually persuaded her to go out with him and the romance blossomed into marriage three years later. They were married December 20, 1941 two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Due to WW II, Marjorie and David were separated much of the first few years of their marriage. David was in the army working as a medical bacteriologist while Marjorie returned to live with her parents. She traveled to where he was stationed whenever possible for short periods of time. She and David often shared many stories of the difficulty of those war years and how grateful they felt to live ordinary life without being separated.

Deeply devoted and loyal to each other, they were married for almost 68 years, during which time they raised five children while David worked as a veterinarian, bacteriologist and did research on Edema Disease and E. coli., first in Washington, IA , then in Ames, IA. They went on to enjoy life as grandparents and great grandparents.

Marjorie was an extremely organized and active person who, besides raising five children, shared her time with extended family, neighbors, several civic organizations and her church. Church activities, PEO, and DAR were a large part of her life. She and David were members of the First Presbyterian Church in Washington, IA where she co-directed the children’s choir for several years. After moving to Ames they were active members of Collegiate Presbyterian Church where Marjorie was a vital organizer in readying the annual rummage sale to benefit others.

Acquainted with some of the needs of indigenous people of the Panama Canal zone (since David spent much of his childhood there when his father was a missionary in the area), Marjorie and David supported the San Blas Medical Mission on the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama and traveled there in the 1980’s. Marjorie became an expert on design elements, workmanship and history of “molas,” the inlaid fabric art created and sold by the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands. She gave presentations on molas to different clubs and civic groups in Ames, IA. She and David also traveled to Alaska on the Anna Jackman Presbyterian Mission boat to see some of the schools supported by missions of the Presbyterian Church.

Marjorie enjoyed sharing her artistic talents with others and at home. In the past she also enjoyed playing bridge, going to plays and concerts, reading and viewing new exhibits in museums. She was a founding and sustaining member of the Goldstein Gallery on the U of MN St. Paul campus.

She is survived by five grown children, Paula (Denny) Olander of St. Paul, MN, Ron (Mary) Gregory of Sartell, MN, David D. (Liz) Gregory of Portage, WI, Ann (Bob) Gregory-Bjorklund of Dundas, MN and Melissa Gregory of Northfield, MN; nine grandchildren, Amy Lundell, Sara (Pete) Wahl, Elise (Collin LaFave) Gregory, Emily (Jim) Gilbertson, Clarissa (Jimmy Joe Roche) Gregory, Willie Gregory-Bjorklund and David, Elizabeth and Leif Olsen; two step grandchildren, Mike (Sally) Olander and Dee Dee (Craig) Armstrong; nine great grandchildren and five step great grandchildren; and six nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eva (Dixson) and Willard Stowell, and sisters Janet (Tom) Loucks and Virginia (Leonard) Pulkrabeck.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 28 at 1 PM at First United Church of Christ in Northfield, with lunch reception to follow.

Memorial donations can be sent to San Blas Medical Mission, Ailigandi San Blas Islands, Panama by writing checks to “San Blas Medical Mission” sent to P.O. Box 1089, Penney Farms, FL, 32079.

Arrangements are with the Benson & Langehough Funeral Home. www.northfieldfuneral.com