Marjorie Kaye Burreson Larson Fossey

Monday, January 15, 2018 6:13 pm

Marjorie Kaye Burreson Larson Fossey, 77, of Decorah, passed away peacefully Jan. 9, 2018, surrounded by family at Aase Haugen Nursing Home. Memorial services were at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, with the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Edinger officiating. Burial is at a later date in the Hesper Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation was 4 to 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, at the Mengis Funeral Home in Mabel. Memorials are preferred to the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church or Aase Haugen Senior Services.

Marge was born June 4, 1940, in rural Canton, Minn., to Merland and Winifred (Johnson) Halvorson. She was the seventh of eight children. She graduated from Canton High School in 1958. She married John Burreson May 9, 1959, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. John and Marge owned and operated the Burreson Locker and Grocery in Hesper. Together they had two daughters, Melanie and Melody. In 1978, John and Marge sold the locker and decided to start a new adventure in Arizona. They loved the desert and city life. Sadly, John passed away from cancer in 1982. Still in Arizona, Marge met another Iowan, Gary Larson, and they were married in 1986. Gary passed away from cancer in 1994.

Marge loved the southwest and resided there until 1996, when she moved back to Iowa to be a grandma. She worked for many years at KQ98 and KVIK radio as a sales representative and enjoyed her time with both customers and coworkers. She married Allen Fossey in 2003 at the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church in rural Decorah. In 2014, Marge moved to Aase Haugen Nursing Home as her Progressive Supranuclear Palsy continued to deteriorate her health.

Marge was an excellent cook. She loved to bake Christmas goodies and share them with friends and family. She was especially famous for her crispy chocolate chip cookies. Marge loved visiting her daughter Melanie and her family at their farm near Decorah for Sunday dinners. She also enjoyed visiting her daughter Melody when her health allowed. Marge loved to travel and visited a few special destinations including Norway, Mexico and Hawaii. She also enjoyed dancing, serving on the Nordic Fest Board and being a member of the Order of the Eastern Star where she was past worthy matron.

She is survived by her husband, Allen Fossey, Decorah; daughters, Melanie (Galen) Tietz, Decorah and Melody (Michael) McIrvin, Phoenix, Ariz.; grandchildren Jordan Tietz, Decorah and Daiton Tietz (special friend Mitch Donkers), Decorah; Allen’s children: Bruce, Wanda, Jean and Bonnie; siblings: Bonnie (Mike) Richardson, Patricia Doose, Kenny (Lois) Halvorson, Judy (Larry) Smith, Jean (Lorry) Wille; sisters-in-law: Ceil Halvorson, Sybil (Everett) Christensen, Georgia Snyder; brother-in-law, Stanley Swenson; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Merland and Winifred; John’s parents, Norvel and Verna Burreson; husband, John Burreson; husband, Gary Larson; granddaughter, Danica; brother, Richard; sister, Lois Swenson; brother-in-law, Harris Burreson; brother-in-law, Don Doose.