Marjorie "Marge" Christensen, 82, Sioux Falls, S.D., formerly of Luverne, died on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005, at Sioux Valley Hospital. Burial services were at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne. Her Celebration of Life service followed at 2 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. The Revs. Maurice E. Hagen and Dell Peterson officiated. Marjorie Slater was born to Glenn and Gertrude Slater on July 9, 1922, in St. Paul. She grew up in St. Paul and graduated from Humbolt High School in 1939 and Macalester College in 1943, both in St. Paul. She moved to Luverne in early 1943 to teach senior civics when the regular teacher was drafted into the military.She married Albert Christensen, a local dairy farmer, in 1945. After their marrying she gave up teaching to help her husband on Evergreen Farm and to raise a family. In 1966 she returned to teaching at Luverne High School, retiring in 1978. In 2001 she moved to the Inn on Westport in Sioux Falls where she continued to be active in ministry.Service work was Marge’s passion. She loved working for the Lutheran church at all levels — local, conference, district and national — as a teacher, conference officer, district teacher trainer and curriculum developer for the national church. She taught church school classes at Grace Lutheran Church for 40 years. She served on nursing home boards and on the county welfare board. Besides her passion for service, she loved traveling, visiting much of the world with her husband Albert.Survivors include one son, Joel (Linda) Christensen, Sioux Falls, and Karen (James) Kullnat, Pendleton, Ore.; and three grandchildren, Justin Christensen, Sioux Falls, and Jon and Kristen Kullnat, both of Portland, Ore.Marge was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband, Albert. Memorials may be sent to Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne.Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.
