Marion Jane (Novotny) Callen

Marion J. Callen, age 81, of Glenwood, MN, died Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at Glenwood Village Care Center. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, July 21st at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glenwood, with Father Joe Vandeberg officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. on Thursday at the funeral home and will continue on Friday at the church, one hour prior to the service. Arrangements are with Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home of Glenwood.

Marion Jane Novotny Callen, daughter of George and Anna (Prashek) Novotny, was born on November 21, 1941, in Breckenridge, MN.  Marion was the grand finale of her parents’ six children.  She grew up on a farm in Lidgerwood, ND and attended St. John’s Catholic Church.  She attended county school while living on the farm, went to the Catholic elementary school at age 11, then went to Lidgerwood High School and graduated in 1959.  She was employed by First Nation Bank in Denver Colorado after high school before moving to the Twin Cities around 1962-63.  She was employed by Marquette Bank in downtown Minneapolis until 1967, then moved with her husband to Glenwood MN and started working for Pope County State Bank until their first child was born in 1968.  She was a stay-at-home mom raising 5 children until the youngest was in elementary school.  She worked in the dietary department at E. N. Nordgaard Elementary in Glenwood for 13 years until she retired in 2005. 

Marion was united in marriage to Roland Callen on June 25, 1966, in Lidgerwood, ND at St. John’s Catholic Church. She was a member of the Glenwood Firemen’s Women Auxiliary for 20 years until Roland retired from the Glenwood Fire Department. 

She loved boat and ice fishing with her husband and family.  Hunting was something she also liked, but there she was the spotter and tracker even though she could have taken a shot.  Camping, gardening and flowers were all things she loved to do.  Her children have a love for most things outdoors because she made sure they had opportunities to experience nature.  Sports were another passion of hers, starting with her children who all participated in school sports.  She was an avid Twins, Vikings and MN Gopher fan along with the NDSU Bison and SDSU Jackrabbits.  She also watched a variety of shows that were about animals, nature and history.  After retirement she and Roland traveled all over the west, southern and southeastern US, but her favorite trip was to Alaska.  They also made numerous trips out to the Black Hills. 

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Roland Callen, daughter Ann Marie Mrnak of Miltona MN and her children Zachary and Henlee Mrnak; daughter Tammy (James) Schmidt of Alexandria MN and their children Adelina (Cameron) Wheeler, Marilee (Ryan) Myhr and Grace Schmidt; son Michael (Katherine Pratt, DPM) of Charleston SC; daughter Pamela (Brian) Friedrich of Moorhead MN and their children Tomas and Nathan Friedrich; and son Ryan (Michale) of Ely MN and their children Chloe and Caleb Callen.  Brother-in-law Verlyn (Carolyn) Callen of Hearne, TX and many nieces, nephews and family friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents George & Anna Novotny, parents-in-law Edward & Anna Callen and step-mother-in-law Sarah Heitman Callen.  Her brothers George (Georgina) Novotny, Benjamin (Virgina) Novotny, sisters Helen (Gus) Palzer, Rose (Dale) Ketelboeter and infant sister Gertrude Novotny, brother-in-law Donald (Gloria) Callen, sister-in-law Elaine (Lloyd) Moen, grandchildren: Lillie Elaine Friedrich and William Arnold Friedrich, nephews: Lawrence Novotny, Dennis Moen, James Moen, niece Judy Callen Degner, and son-in-law Todd G. Mrnak.

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