Marvel J. Person Moen Olson, age 94 of Alexandria, formerly Lowry, died Thursday, May 27, 2021 at Bethany on the Lake in Alexandria. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 2nd at St Paul's Lutheran Church in Lowry with Rev. Bryan Taffe officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery in rural Lowry. Arrangements are with the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood.
Marvel June Person was born on July 2, 1926 at home in Ben Wade Township, just outside of Lowry, MN, to parents Carl Oscar and Matilda (Nelson) Person. She was the third of seven children born to the couple. Marvel was raised on the family farm along with her siblings. She was baptized and confirmed at Norunga Lutheran Church and attended grade school in Lowry and high school in Glenwood, where she graduated with the Class of 1944. After high school, Marvel worked for a year at Char-Gale in St. Cloud as Rosie the Riveter building C46 transport fuselages for the war effort. In 1945, she returned to Lowry where she worked for Lowry Telephone Company as a switchboard operator until the dial system made switchboard operators obsolete. At that time she became a bookkeeper for the company and she remained there until her retirement.
On November 29, 1946, she was united in marriage to Joseph Clayton Moen in Farwell, MN. They made their home in various towns in Pope County and Alexandria, and their marriage was blessed with three children, Mary Jo, James and John. Sadly, Joseph died on November 23, 1953, just days before their seventh wedding anniversary. Ten years later, on August 14, 1963, Marvel was married to Gerald Alwyn Olson. Gerald farmed and, like Marvel, was a longtime employee at the Lowry Telephone Company. They lived on Gerald’s home farm near Lowry, where they shared 42 years of marriage before Gerald passed away on August 19, 2005. Marvel continued to reside on the farm until 2007, when she moved to Alexandria.
Marvel was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Lowry, where she was active in WELCA. She was also a member of the Lowry Lions and the Lowry American Legion Auxiliary.
Marvel enjoyed reading, working on crossword puzzles, cooking with love for her family, crocheting, fancy work and sewing. Her afghans are coveted gifts cherished by her children and grandchildren. She also made beautiful flannel baby quilts, pot holders, scrubbies and embroidered dishtowels for numerous family members and friends. Marvel was also a talented pianist and organist. She spent many hours at the keyboard sharing her love for Christian music with her family.
Marvel is survived by her daughter, Mary Jo (and husband Maury) Gulbranson of Somerset, WI; two sons, James (and wife Denise) Moen of Foreston and John (and wife Terri) Moen of Lowry; ten grandchildren; twenty-seven great-grandchildren; a sister, Audrey Olson; a sister-in-law, Arlene Person; a brother-in-law, Arnie Gunness; and nieces and nephews that she cherished.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl Oscar and Matilda Person; her two husbands, Joseph Moen and Gerald Olson; siblings, Ordella Person, Clayton (and wife Rudella) Person, Shirley (Mike) Neumann, Donald Person, Betty Gunness; brothers-in-law, Lloyd Olson and Donald (and his wife Hildora) Olson, Gilbert (and wife Lorraine) Moen, and Tilfred (and wife Arlene) Moen.
Memorials may be directed to Douglas County Hospice or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Lowry.
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