Red Lake Falls – Margie Josephson, of Red Lake Falls, passed away on Monday, January 13, 2025, at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, ND. She was surrounded by her loving family; her sharp mind was both a comfort and blessing as it allowed the last days with family to be spent reminiscing about fond memories.
Margie Annette Josephson, the youngest of ten children, was born October 29, 1938 in Minerva Township to parents Walter Henry Sauer and Luella Margaret (Rosenquist) Sauer. She attended high school in Bagley, where she was a member of the percussion section of the marching band (playing the cymbals), graduating in 1956. She had a beautiful voice, singing for many weddings in her younger days. As a teenager one of her favorite pastimes was going to the movies and spending time at Itasca State Park (Douglas Lodge) where her mother worked. Her love of travel started when she was young, chauffeuring her parents to the Black Hills, and continued later in life, taking trips to CA, FL, AZ, NY and AK, visiting family and enjoying the sites.
From June 1956 until December 1960, she worked at Prudential Insurance Company in Minneapolis, starting in the mail room and working up to the underwriter’s department, where she was a hostess and nominated for Prudential Queen.
Margie married Owen John Josephson at First Lutheran Church in Bagley, on December 5, 1959. The couple lived in the Excelsior/Minnetonka area, where Owen worked, until they moved to Red Lake Falls, in October of 1961. In 1963 they purchased the home where she lived until the time of her death. Margie (known by Marge to many) worked at Red Lake Electric Cooperative from January of 1968 until retiring in January of 2001. Marge was a volunteer at the American Legion Club, a member of the Local Legion and Regional Auxiliaries, holding such offices as president, as well as poppy and membership chairman. She was involved in the Girl Scout organization, as a troop leader, neighborhood chairman and cookie chairman in the Pine to Prairie Council while her girls were younger.
With her love of cooking, she was often found in the kitchen cooking or catering numerous special events such as weddings, birthdays funerals and school fundraisers, where she often shared her secret recipes. In 2006, she was honored to be selected as Woman of the Year.
Margie enjoyed sewing, crocheting, quilting, gardening, canning, fishing, snowmobiling, reading the local newspapers and spending weekends at the lake. Above all, she was a devoted MN Twins fan, rarely missing a game and always keeping the stats. If a game was on, you knew where to find her, in her La-Z-boy chair with her favorite chocolate in hand, maybe some chips and a glass of ice-cold Coke nearby. Her love for the Twins began during the ’63–’64 season, when Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison, and Earl Battey were surprise guests brought home by her husband Owen, for a pheasant dinner.
She is survived by her loving daughters, Diane (Jeff) Kalbakdalen, Red Lake Falls, Janet (John) Casavan, Roseau, Mary Josephson, Moorhead, (Brian Backer), and Karen (Gregg) Bembenek, Danville, IN; grandchildren, Jennifer (Tom) Ramsey, Tamara (Shawn) Cudmore, Rachel Kalbakdalen, Jessica (Tom) Franks, Nicholas (Casey) Casavan, Joshua (Candice) Casavan, Micah Casavan, Matthew Bembenek, Audrey Bembenek and Sarah Bembenek; great-grandchildren, Makayla Adelman, Zackary Ramsey, Hope Ramsey, Toby Ramsey, Lucas Ramsey, Jaelyn Ramsey, Hazel Ramsey, Blake Rybakowski, Brody Rybakowski, Parker Cudmore, Samara Cox, Maddissen Cox, Isaiah Franks, Nehemiah Franks, Aubree Franks, Isaac Franks, Clover Casavan, Chandler Casavan, Culley Casavan, Owen Casavan and Liam Casavan; great-great-granddaughter, Evelyn Maaske; and brother-in-law, Curt Josephson.
Margie was preceded in death by her husband, Owen (March 5, 1990); parents, Walter and Luella; great-grandsons, Elijah Ramsey and Max Ramsey; sisters, Florence Wastweet, Evelyn Tibbetts, Mayme Meyer, Lorraine Buck, Marian Bergquist and Clarice Olson-Ricke; brothers, Melvin Sauer, Glen Sauer; infant brother, Kenneth Sauer; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service for Margie will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Red Lake Falls, with Reverend Jonathan Dodson officiating.
A private family burial will be held in Bagley, at a later date.
Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com.
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