Marles Sagstuen, 86, died on Monday, March 22, 2010 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND.

Funeral service will be at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, March 26, 2010 at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Holt, MN with Pastor Sheila Michaels officiating. Burial will be at the Holt Cemetery in Holt, MN.

Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at the Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN with a 7:00 P.M. Prayer service on Thursday evening. Visitation will also be one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.

Marles Lillian Peterson was born on January 3, 1924 in Mud Lake, MN, the daughter of Anton Tony and Julia (Johnson) Peterson. Marles attended Pleasant View School in Mud Lake, MN, Holt School in Holt, MN and graduated from Newfolden High School in 1941. She was confirmed at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Holt.

Marles was united in marriage to Raymond Arnold Sagstuen on September 26, 1944. They made their home near Holt for the first few years of their marriage. She worked as a bookkeeper at the Holt Creamery for a short time. They then moved to Duluth, MN where they lived from 1952 to 1958. They lived in Grand Forks and raised their family, to be closer to the school for the deaf in Devils Lake, ND. The couple moved to a farm near Newfolden in 1974. They lived there for many years. Raymond died in 1999. Marles moved to Tufte Manor in Grand Forks in 2007 and most recently lived at Edgewood Vista, East Grand Forks, MN.

Marles enjoyed being the taxi driver for their five children and enjoyed cleaning and cooking for her family. She also liked to sew, bake, especially her Salie Ann Cookies, pies, brownies and potato klub. Marles also loved visiting and playing cards including whist, smear and rummy. In her spare time, she liked watching The Price Is Right, Days of Our Lives, and General Hospital. Quilting was a highlight of her hobbies and she made quilts for all the children and grandchildren. Marles was a Brownie Scout Leader, member of Nazareth Lutheran Church and active in the Ladies Aid and served as treasurer for Ester Ladies Aid Circle. She was an avid Minnesota Twins fan and loved to watch her grandsons play hockey.

Marles is survived by five children: Renae (David) Myers of Grand Forks, ND, Mardell (Jerry) Humble of Grand Forks, ND, Gary (Lynette) Sagstuen of Grand Forks, ND, Julie (Lee) Norman of East Grand Forks, MN and James (Darla) Sagstuen of Newfolden, MN; 13 grandchildren: Kerrie, Jodie, Jenny, Scott, Laura, Greg, Jordan, Troy, Travis, Ryan, Nathan, Jorde, and Danielle; great grandchildren: Keila, Tyler, Jessica, Jordan, Patrick, Felicity, Caleb, Savannah, Jacob and Isabella; and one sister, Joyce (Duane) Larson of Thief River Falls, MN; sister-in-law, Dorothy (Chuck) Morkrid, Thief River Falls.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond, her parents, Tony and Julia; sister

ORGANIST: Brenda Bennett
SOLOIST: Don Lunke
SELECTIONS: In The Garden, Amazing Grace My Chains Are Broken
CONGREGATIONAL HYMNS: Here I Am Lord, Rock of Ages
CASKETBEARERS: Greg Sagstuen, Scott Humble, Troy Norman, Travis Norman, Ryan Sagstuen, Nathan Sagstuen, Jordan Sagstuen
HONORARY CASKETBEARERS: Jodie Lee, Laura Lowe, Jenny Barta, Kerrie Myers