Date of Birth:
Sunday, December 15, 1935
Date of Death:
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Age:
87 years old

Marlene Sandberg

Marlene Sandberg passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, April 18 in her apartment at Samaritan Bethany Nursing Home.

Marlene was born in Blue Earth, MN, on December 15, 1935. She grew up in Worthington, MN. After graduating from high school, Marlene attended nursing school at Abbott (Northwestern). While in nursing school, she met Dan Sandberg. After her graduation, Marlene married Dan on September 20, 1956. They lived in Rochester, MN, where they raised four children.

Marlene was a devoted wife and mother, and a doting grandmother. She was known for her sense of humor, adventurous spirit, and as a person who had a deep love for other people. She had many friends in her church, neighborhood, and throughout Rochester. She attended Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, and her faith life was important to her. She was active in Via de Cristo and as a Stephen Minister. She loved to gather with her family and friends to share a good meal. Marlene had a quick wit, enjoyed the outdoors, and loved to travel. She visited Germany, Israel, and much of the United States in her lifetime. Marlene managed several dental practices in Rochester through the years.

Marlene always had a project in the works – whether it was painting with grandkids, sewing dresses, or baking cookies. She became a skilled Bauernmalerei painter (German folk painting) and liked to share her artwork with family and friends. She was a wickedly good cribbage player who could school the best when she played. She also liked to play dominos, Tripoli, and other games. She liked to spend time with loved ones whether it was hitting up a garage sale to look for treasures, feeding the ducks at Silver Lake, or driving through McDonald’s for ice cream for those in the car, including the dog. She had a talent for making individuals feel like they had her full attention even in a crowded room.

In later years, Marlene had health issues that limited her mobility, but she remained connected to her family and friends. She had a steady stream of visitors at Bethany including weekly visits from her friend Curly. She and Dan spent many hours reading out loud, watching game shows, and reminiscing about their 66-year marriage which set an example of what love means to all who knew them.

Marlene is survived by her husband Dan and their four children: Carrie (Paul) Flaten of Northfield, Susan (Stan) Hofbauer of Rochester, David (Fran) Sandberg of Rochester, and Jennie (Dan) Fischer of Iowa City. She has nine grandchildren: Jessica (Jeff) Bakken Busch of Kasson, Annie Fredrickson of Rochester, Nisa (Steve) Knodt of Rosemount, Daniel (Abby) Sandberg of Stewartville, Hannah (Nick) Hanrahan of Rochester, Libby (Abe) Eyman of Minneapolis, Rachel Fischer of Minneapolis, Paul Hofbauer of Rochester, and Josiah Fischer of Ames. Her 10 great-grandchildren are: Ty Trageser of Rochester, Bailee Johnson of Stewartville, Erin Trageser of Rochester, Brendon Busch of Kasson, Norah Trageser of Rochester, Jet Trageser of Rochester, Jack Peterson of Minneapolis, Audrey Peterson of Minneapolis, Morgan Sandberg of Stewartville, and Halle Hanrahan of Rochester.

The family would like to thank Bethany Samaritan Nursing Home for the loving care they provided Marlene. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Marlene’s name to the Samaritan Bethany Nursing Home or a worthy organization of your choosing.

A Memorial Service will be held Monday, April 24, 2023 at 1:00pm in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home with refreshments to follow. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Monday. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery.