Marie Nygren

Marie was a devoted Christian, a loving wife, a dedicated mother, a sister, a widow, a volunteer worker, and a strong-willed woman. Her childhood home in rural Pennsylvania was a small farm home on several acres. Sadly, her sister before her died as an infant, and Marie nearly died herself as a young child from measles.

Along with her younger sister and two brothers, she milked cows, gathered eggs, brought in water from the well, weeded the large garden, and helped to gather the field grasses into bales of hay. The small two-bedroom home housed five to nine family members at any given time, depending on other relatives’ needs. On Sundays after church, it was expected that extended family members would show up for dinner and conversation.

Family was important, and taking care of family members was done without question.

Marie met her future husband Gordon at Roberts Wesleyan College in New York. They married in 1956. Being the first member of her family to get a college degree, Marie was a schoolteacher by training. She taught the sciences to junior high and high school students. Marie later worked with her husband Gordon to create and maintain their own businesses. She traveled extensively in Europe and throughout the North American continent. Marie was a committed member of the Lutheran Church and served extensively in many teaching and leadership roles. She loved the color red, peach ice cream, and red roses.

Being a mother was a role Marie wanted and was blessed with. She was always available to her children- from injuries, to homework, to volunteering as a girl scout leader and cub scout den leader, and on to helping with her adult children and grandchildren. She and her late husband Gordon raised four children- Sondra Marie Johnson Walker (Mitchell Walker), Karen Elin Matis (Robert Matis), Jennifer Anne Duncan, and Geoffrey Erik Nygren (Carol Nygren). Both Marie and Gordon added to their fold a Swedish daughter, Lena Skansgard, after Lena came to visit them as an exchange student many years ago.

In addition, Marie leaves behind eleven grandchildren: Rachel, Erika, Phillip, Michael, Bethany, Kristin, Ryan, Garrick, Megan, Christopher, and Jay.

And nine great-grandchildren: Kayleigh, Caiden, Juno, Harrison, Reagan, Avery, Hayden, Cayden, and Harper.

She was loved and cherished by all and will be deeply missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Luke’s Church, or to Children’s Hospital, in Marie’s name would be greatly appreciated.

Friends and family of Marie will be received on Friday, September 20, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 4456 Morse Road, Columbus, OH immediately followed by an 11:00 AM funeral service. Marie will be laid to rest next to her husband immediately following services on Friday at Blendon Central Cemetery, 6330 S. Hempstead Road, Westerville, OH 43230. There will be no formal procession, but all who would like to attend can meet at the cemetery at approximately 12:30 PM.