Mary Margaret Rocheleau

Funeral services held Monday, March 2, 2009 at First Lutheran Church for Mary Margaret Rocheleau, 86, of Rugby, who died Thursday, Feb. 26 at the Heart of America Medical Center.

Burial will be in Persilla Watts Cemetery in the spring.

Mary was born on June 6, 1922 in the Denbigh area, the daughter of William and Leah (Cornish) Dean. She was raised in the Granville and Denbigh area and attended school in Drake, Berwick, and Granville. She married Ole Fedje on March 12, 1941 in Rugby. She and her husband farmed south of Rugby until 1948 when they moved to Glasgow, Mont., where they owned and operated a motel and gas station until 1951. They returned to Rugby and owned and operated the Center Motel until 1962 when they retired. Ole died on Feb. 18, 1965. She married Oren Rocheleau in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 7, 1974. They farmed north of Rugby for a few years until they moved into town in December 1978. Oren died on March 12, 1980. Mary worked at various places in Rugby through the years. In September 2008 she moved to the Harold S. Haaland Home in Rugby.

She was an active member of First Lutheran Church and participated in various functions, such as quilting and the circles of the church. She was also a member of the senior citizens club.

She is survived by her daughters, Linda Fossum, Rugby, Ruth Volk, Corvallis, Ore., and Shilah Enderson, San Clemente, Calif.; nine grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Edna Rocheleau, Rugby, and Ida Feller, Bloomington, Minn.

She was preceded in death by her two husbands; her parents, a son, Robert O. Fedje, on April 12, 1974; two sisters, Eva Carlson and Rose Rocheleau; a brother, Billy Dean; her step-father, Charlie Breckenridge, and three stepbrothers, Duane, Irving, and Richard Breckenridge.

Pastors Michael Pretzer and Sharon Baker officiated. Pam Anderson was the organist, and Teri Shomento was soloist.

Casketbearers were Jim Enderson, Cory Fossum, Scot Fossum, Tim Peterson, Tony Shomento and Len Volk. Her grandchildren served as honorary pallbearers.

Arrangements by Niewoehner Funeral Home, Rugby.