Margaret A. (Anderson) Thorson

Margaret A. Thorson, 99, of Bemidji, MN died Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at Sanford Medical Center, Fargo, ND.

Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, January 26, 2024 at First Lutheran Church, Bemidji. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.

Margaret was born October 9, 1924 in the family farm home at Manfred, ND, the daughter of Perry and Lilly Anderson. Margaret’s character was shaped against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the drought of the 1930’s and WWII. She attended Manfred Elementary School and  Fessenden (ND) High School. She graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1948, and was a life-long member of Delta Kappa Gamma. That same year, she married Theodore (Ted) Thorson of Crookston, MN whom she met at UND. The next several years she followed and supported her husband in his career and cared for their growing family. Ted’s career in music education brought them to Perham and Minneapolis in MN, Edgerton, WI, and Evanston, Kenilworth and Decatur, IL. The family moved to Bemidji in 1966.

Margaret took graduate classes at Milliken University in Decatur, IL and Bemidji State University obtaining degrees in Library Science, and Special Education. She taught special education at Central Elementary School in Bemidji, retiring in 1990. After they retired, Margaret and Ted traveled the U.S. and overseas. They spent 15 years as snowbirds, wintering in Tucson, AZ and spending summers at their Lake Plantagenet cabin near Bemidji.

Margaret enjoyed being with her family, entertaining family and friends, gardening, knitting, traveling, reading, and hiking in the Arizona mountains.

Margaret is survived by her children, Robert (Kristine) of Storrs, CT, Leif (Katherine) of Mahtomedi, MN, Erik of Bemidji, MN, Thor (Kimm) of Brainerd, MN, and Ingrid (Peter) Koller of North St. Paul, MN; 13 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; sisters Verna Bowers, Ruth (Reiner) Widiger and LoAnn (Wayne) Dybing; and brother Orren (Karen) Anderson.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; her sons Theodore (Ted) Jr. and James; and brothers Peter and Donald Anderson.

Memorials may be directed to First Lutheran Church of Bemidji or the Ted Thorson Music Scholarship Fund at Bemidji State University.

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