Marlene H. Deist

Marlene Harriet Fronning was born on August 8, 1945, to Harriet and Leon Fronning in Elbow Lake, MN. She was baptized and confirmed at Aastad Lutheran Church, rural Fergus Falls, MN. She graduated from Elbow Lake High School, continued on with her education for two years at Fergus Falls Jr. College, and received her B.A. degree in elementary education including deaf education from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD, in 1967. She received her Master of Arts degree in 1996 from St. Thomas University.


Marlene began her teaching career in 1967 at the Jacksonville State School for the Deaf, Jacksonville, IL. She was married on June 8, 1969, at Aastad Lutheran Church to Wayne Deist who she met at Augustana College. They then moved to Phoenix, AZ, where she taught at the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf for 1 1/2 years. Marlene and Wayne then settled in Moorhead, MN, where she taught for 28 years. She served at Riverside Elementary, Sabin Elementary, Probstfield, Lincoln, Washington, Edison, Robert Asp, North Jr. High, South Jr. High and Moorhead Senior High School. She took an early retirement from the Moorhead School District upon diagnosis of stage IV ovarian cancer in the fall of 2004.


Her battle with cancer started with a surgery at Mayo Clinic in September 2004. She valiantly and without complaint battled her disease, enduring two rounds of chemotherapy under the caring direction of Dr. Snow, the staff at the Roger Maris Cancer Center, and Hospice of the Red River Valley.


Marlene died peacefully in the presence of her husband and son, Benjamin, and his wife, Nancy, in the privacy of her home on Tuesday, September 20, 2005. She is survived by her husband, Wayne; daughter, Sara (Gideon) Stanley, Houston, TX; son, Benjamin (Nancy), Battle Lake, MN; brother, Gayland (Harriet), Dalton, MN; niece, Diane (Terry) Kruger, Hampton, VA; nephews, Dan Fronning, Dalton, MN, and Dennis (Melissa) Fronning, Battle Lake, MN; and mother-in-law, Marietta Finke, Windom, MN. Her parents and her infant sister, Carol Joy, preceded her in death.


Marlene's gift to society was her passion for teaching. She was inspired to teach even as a child. She took great pleasure in reading and helping her students with their studies. Reading the Bible was important to her. Her favorite reading was in the book of Romans. Marlene could be summed up as a servant and an encourager as depicted in Romans 12, v.7-8. She did all things cheerfully and was remembered by students as one whose laughter and smile was infectious. She viewed people as a gift from God and encouraged them through their challenges.


Her sphere of influence went beyond her own immediate family. Former neighbors have thanked her for being a second mom to their children. Her relatives, friends, and colleagues have commented on her faithfulness of being active in their lives.


Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd has had a special place in her heart and she enjoyed her church circle when she could attend. Memorials can be directed to Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd building fund, Roger Maris Cancer Center or Hospice of th
Visitation: Friday, September 23, 2005, from 5 PM - 9 PM with a prayer service at 7 PM, Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead

Funeral Service: Saturday, September 24, 2005, at 10:30 AM, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Moorhead

Burial Service: Saturday September 24, 2005, at 3 PM at Aastad Lutheran Cemetery, rural Fergus Falls