Marian Hedstrom passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on August 29, 2012 at age 91.
Marian Margie Robinson was born to Alonzo and Stella Robinson on July 26, 1921 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and grew up with her six siblings. Art and Marian met at Northwestern Bell Telephone in Grand Rapids when he worked there temporarily after a huge ice storm and she was Evening Chief Operator. They were married at Fort Monmouth, NJ, on November 6, 1943. In 1944, their daughter Diane was born in Grand Rapids; their son Dean was born in 1949 in Windom. After stints with the phone company in Jackson, St. Paul, and Omaha, they moved to North Oaks in 1961.
Marian’s favorite place to be was wherever her family was. But if family was with her at their home on Lake Superior she was happiest of all. If there was a big storm on the lake, even better!
Marian and Art thoroughly enjoyed travel. During trips to the Czech Republic and Sweden they discovered cousins and made lasting friends. Ireland and New Zealand were other favorites.
Marian was always an elegant and gracious hostess. She was a fantastic cook and a culinary adventurer. In the ‘50s and ‘60s when others were eating casseroles with corn flakes, Jell-O, and canned beans with onion rings, Marian’s family was dining on Mexican, French, Czech, and Swedish cuisine. She made the world’s best Swedish rye bread and was a world-class pie maker.
She was the model of self-control: “Everything in moderation,” she said. She stayed fit and healthy into her 90s with her regular walks. Marian treated people politely and with warmth and kindness. She was always genuinely happy to see friends.
Above all, Marian loved her family. Marian took exquisite care of Art for 68 years. Dean and Diane were blessed with the best mother. When Eric, Chris, Jennie, Sarah, Miles, Sandy, DeWayne and Eric William were each added to the family she held them in the circle of her boundless love.
She is survived by Art Hedstrom, her loving husband of 68 years; daughter Diane (Eric) Wesman; son Dean (Sandy Jacobsen) Hedstrom; grandchildren Chris (Sarah) Wesman and Jennie (DeWayne) Esnough; great-grandsons Miles Wesman and Eric Esnough, and many dear relatives and friends.
Because she loved to read, memorials are suggested to the Ramsey County or Grand Marais libraries, and because she loved children, to the Kiwanis International Foundation (kif.kiwanis.org). A memorial service has been held.
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