Donald Michael "Mike" MARSDEN

   Other names for Donald were Donald Michael MARSDEN and Mike MARSDEN.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Obituary: Post Bulletin, 2014, Fillmore County, Minnesota, USA. Donald "Mike" Marsden, age 87, of rural Mabel, Minn. died early Thursday morning July 24, 2014 at his home on the farm in rural Mabel with his family at his side.

Mike was born April 21, 1927 in Waukon, Iowa to Jim and Nettie (Riley) Marsden. He attended the Elk Country School through the 8th grade. To help the family, he went to North Dakota to work during harvest time and also held jobs in Waterloo at Charberlin Factory, Rath Meat Packing Plant, and on the pipeline in Minnesota. Shortly before World War II ended Mike joined the Navy where he did his basic training in San Diego.

In 1947 he married LaVaughn Nerstad at the Scheie Lutheran Church in rural Mabel. Mike and LaVaughn moved to the farm near Choice, Minn. in 1948 and it's where he lived the rest of his life. They have three living children Danny, Debbie, and Lisa. He enjoyed and loved his family very much and was proud of each and every one of them. LaVaughn passed away July 24, 2009.

Mike loved working the land and raising his animals. Besides farming he always had another full time job which included working for the city of Mabel in the maintenance and police departments, Armor Fertilizer Plant in Winona, construction, Farmers Union, Triple F Feeds, and manager/bartender of Mabel Liquor Store.

Mike has been a member of Scheie Lutheran Church for his entire married life. He was on the Scheie Cemetery and Choice Community Cemetery Boards for many years. Mike was proud to be an American and was a member of the American Legion for over 50 years and was a member of the DFL political party. He loved to play softball with one of the teams being the Tawney Aces. He also enjoyed dancing, fishing and hunting, playing cards, golfing, talking to people, and simply loved life and having fun. Mike liked a challenge and is most notably known for carrying a quarter of beef nine miles from Mabel to the farm in torrential rains back in 1962.

Mike is survived by three children Danny (Linda) of Mabel, Debbie of Rochester, Minn., and Lisa (Bob) Ruehmann of Kasson, Minn.; seven grandchildren Amy (Dave) Norby, Paula (Scott) Hicks, Jon (Tanya Kidder) Marsden, Taylor (Jennifer) Marsden, Danielle (Ryan) Newman, Chandler (Casey) Ruehmann, and Cameron Ruehmann; great grandchildren Abbey and Brooke Norby, Carter Hicks, Mallory Marsden, Hailey Marsden, Kolton Marsden, Anna Uhrhammer, Brody Marsden, and Blake Marsden; great great grandchild Bentzen Michael Cline; brother Jack Marsden of Waukon; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his wife LaVaughn; a stillborn baby girl; great granddaughter Riley Norby; his parents; his siblings Mary (Pat) O'Malley, Bob (Shirley) Marsden, and Betty Ernst; sister-in-laws Elvina (Perlind) Olson, Eunice (Allen) Johnson, and Phyllis Marsden.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, August 2, 2014 at the Scheie Lutheran Church in rural Mabel with the Rev. Mary Waudby officiating. He will be buried, near his home and farm of 66 years, in the Choice Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Friday, August 1 at the Mengis Funeral Home in Mabel and one hour prior to services at the church.

• Cemetery: Choice Community Cemetery, 2014, Fillmore County, Minnesota, USA.

Donald married LaVaughn Charlotte NERSTAD, daughter of Edwin NERSTAD and Sophia LARSON, on 2 Feb 1947 in Fillmore County, Minnesota, USA.¹ (LaVaughn Charlotte NERSTAD was born on 1 Sep 1927 in Houston County, Minnesota, USA and died on 24 Jul 2009 in Mabel, Fillmore County, Minnesota, USA.)