Marilyn Forness
April 11, 1932 — November 10, 2015
Marilyn May Czichotzki Forness, devout Christian, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on November 10, 2015.
Marilyn was born April 11, 1932 in Breckenridge, Minnesota to Ormand Czichotzki and Martha Redman Czichotzki. She graduated from Breckinridge High School in 1950. She attended Valley City Teacher’s College and taught in a one room schoolhouse for a year. She married Donald Forness in 1952 and they made their home in Moorhead. In 1966, the family moved to Groton, SD. In 1974, they moved to Mitchell, SD until they retired to Marion Lake, (her piece of heaven) in Perham, MN in 1989. They returned to Moorhead in 2011. Known for their hospitality, Don and Marilyn, had many lifelong friendships. Marilyn was known as a hostess who always had food to serve, favorites often mentioned; her rhubarb cake and dill pickles. Marilyn loved to laugh and sing, to read mysteries, do crossword puzzles, watch the Minnesota Twins and was a “grandma” to young and old. She was devoted to her faith and served in several congregations.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother Wayne and his wife Joleen, and her nephew Michael Czichotzki.
She is survived by son, Craig, and daughters, DeNise, Susan (Jan) Hartwick, and Lynnea; granddaughter Kimberly (Justin) Bawek, great-grandchildren Shea Marilyn and Nolan Donald Bawek and grand-dog, Dudley; sisters, Darline (Fred) Sundblad, Judy (Roy) Toivonen, Cheryl (Jerry) Melby, Mark (LaVerne) Czichotzki, her late brother’s wife Adele Czichotzki; sisters and brother-in-law, cousins, many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Moorhead, Monday, November 16, 2015 at 11:00 am. Visitation is Sunday, November 15, 2015 from 2-4 pm at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Access of the Red River Valley or Anne Carlsen Center, Grand Forks, N.D. Thank you to the staff at Golden Living Center for their kindness and loving care. She is at peace. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”