Marguerite Freund
May 19, 1932-Oct. 9, 2024
Cando
Marguerite Frances (Buchl) Freund, 92, of Cando, ND, passed away Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at her home. Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, October 19, 2024, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Cando at 11:00 a.m., with Father Daniel Musgrave celebrating the Mass. Visitation will be Friday, October 18, 2024, starting at 6 p.m., at the Dunnigan-Dix Funeral Home, Cando, ND followed by a Rosary at 6:45 p.m., and Vigil Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Burial will be at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Cando. Visitation will also continue on Saturday for one hour prior to the services in the church.
Memorial contributions are preferred to North Star Foundation, Freund Music Scholarship, P.O. Box 489, Cando, ND 58324.
Marguerite Frances (Buchl) Freund, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Volk) Buchl, was born on May 19,1932, in Harvey, North Dakota. Marguerite was the 8th of eleven children, raised in a family of six boys and five girls. At the age of five, her family moved to Rugby, North Dakota, where Marguerite attended the Rugby Public School through the fourth grade, followed by grammar school at the Little Flower Catholic School in Rugby from the fifth through eighth grade. However, as Marguerite told it, by the eighth grade she thought her dad was “a little too strict,” so she asked if she could go to boarding school at the St. Francis Academy in Hankinson, N.D., which she did for her first year of high school. While positive in many ways, she said, “I found out was strict was!” and decided that perhaps Rugby Public High School was the right place for her after all, returning to the Rugby Public High and graduating in 1950. Following high school, she went to the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, graduating with an English degree and minor in Speech and Philosophy. From elementary school through college Marguerite was involved in many activities and groups. She was an avid piano player, and in 1949 was crowned Miss Rugby. For the talent portion of the contest, she performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor. She was involved in the glee club, chorus, concert band, and pep club. She was also very involved in plays and was part of the Rugby High School Herald staff.
After graduating from the College of St. Benedict, she began her career as an English teacher, where she taught at the following schools over the next 20 years: Eden Valley, MN; Velva, Bisbee, Cando, Egeland, and Rock Lake, N.D. During her college years she met Wayne Freund, from Cando, who had attended St. John’s University. Over the course of the next six years, Wayne and Marguerite dated and eventually married in 1956. They moved to Wayne’s family farm four miles north of Cando, ND, which is now known as the Lazy W Angus Ranch. Marguerite would say when she first moved to the farm, “It was a culture shock. I did not know about farming, and I didn’t think I liked it and I certainly didn’t like the hours involved!!!” It was there however that she built her legacy…creating a place of beauty by planting trees, flowers, and gardens which she would maintain meticulously until the very end of her life. Marguerite developed a strong love and respect for farming and ranching, which along with her teaching and Wayne’s job selling insurance supported their family in both the prosperous and challenging years. It was there that she and Wayne raised nine children, instilling the values of hard work, family and faith, and passing along their love of music.
In addition to farming, ranching, and raising a family, throughout her life Marguerite was very involved in her community, from supporting her church, the school, arts and sports programs, to throwing her energy into civic and faith-based clubs such as the American Legion, Women’s Club, Arts Council, Hockey Boosters, and Christian Mothers. She gave piano lessons to local children, accompanied many students during music contests, and judged numerous high school speech contests.
Marguerite was passionate about many things, evident not only through discussions and debates around her kitchen table, but her actions as well. She encouraged her children to get involved in activities and become educated, and she led by example. She was an avid reader, reading the paper daily, book after book, and had an uncanny ability to recount what she had learned. She was a lover of music and played the piano extensively from elementary school up through the last years of her life, playing at home, the organ at church, and accompanying her family at weddings, funerals, and concerts. When Wayne would sing “The Lord’s Prayer” and “O Holy Night,” Marguerite was right there by his side on the piano or organ. She was also very involved with the group The Silver Strings, playing the violin alongside her sister Gladys and other local musicians. Marguerite loved to spend time outside, working in the fields, planting a huge garden, and beautifying her yard. Bushes and trees such as poplars, willows, and evergreens were planted and positioned just right so you can’t help but appreciate their beauty every time you drive down the road. Marguerite loved to mow and keeping her lawn manicured was very important to her. She mowed acres upon acres of grass, and just like her trees, she had a knack of making it look beautiful. We all marveled that mom continued to mow up until the last two months of her life. Marguerite’s husband Wayne passed away just last year, and Marguerite would often say, “It’s just not the same without Wayne.” They are now reunited once again. Marguerite lived life fully, was a wonderful mother, wife, and friend, and will be greatly missed.
Marguerite was preceded in death by her husband Wayne; parents; sisters Irene Ratto and Winifred Petsinger; brothers Art, Joe, Stan, Andy, and Robert Buchl; and granddaughter, Kaitlyn Marie Simmons.
She is survived by her children, Mary (Paul) Freund-Braun, Kathleen (John) Hanson, Jacqueline (Gary) Simmons, Thomas (Judy) Freund, Julie (David) Marsh, Anne (Kevin) McCallum, Carla (Grady) McDonald, Jason Freund, and Meghan (Steven) Grenier; grandchildren, Hayden Braun, Morgan (Hanson) Gikey, Jacqueline Hanson, Cass Simmons, Lindsay (Simmons) Bauman, Joseph, Eliza, and Cecilia Freund, Kathleen Marsh (Jack Anderson), Jennifer Marsh, Jessica, Meghan, and Zane McCallum, Tom and John McDonald, Adriana, Sylvia, and Julia Grenier; and great-grandchildren, Beau and Hattie Bauman.
Online guestbook is available at www.dunnigandix.com.
Dunnigan-Dix Funeral Home of Cando, ND is in charge of arrangements.
Published by The Pierce County Tribune, October 19, 2024.