Marjorie Elizabeth Mehlberg

Marjorie Elizabeth Berg Mehlberg was born in Kendall County on April 30, 1921, in a small community of Norwegian immigrants.. She attended Booth Grade School, Plattville High School for 2 years, and graduated later from Newark High School in 1939. After High School she attended Illinois State Normal University and received a two-year program degree for elementary education. She taught 3 years in Sidney, Illinois. During that time, she and her sister-in-law ventured to California to serve in the war effort, helping to wire the Black Widow stealth bomber for Northrop Defense Company.

She married Lester Orville Mehlberg, and became a stay-at-home mom while her children were preschoolers. She went back to school to get her Master’s in Library Science when their children were in grade school. She helped set up the media center in Unit 5 schools and was a Library Specialist until husband Les retired. When he retired, they moved to Hereford, Texas, where he consulted in the grain industry until he retired again.

In ’68, they returned home to Normal where Mom became active in the community and their church again. She was Sunday School teacher for St John’s Lutheran Church for many years, as well as the first woman elected to serve on the Church Council. In addition, she became Circle leader and served on numerous church committees, including the building committee for the expansion of St. Johns.

In the community she was an active 4-H leader for Linden Lead ‘Em, she was a Girl Scout leader, a Cub Scout leader, and a member of numerous clubs, including As You Like It, Bloomington -Normal Woman's Club. She was a member and Pres. of Beta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.

Her love of everything Norwegian led her to trace her genealogy in Norway back to the 1500's, verifying primary resources in Norway and reconnecting with Norwegian cousins. She became an expert painter and instructor in the Norwegian folk art of Rosemaling, making Christmas ornaments and Easter eggs for her children and grandchildren each year. Her creativity extended to painting landscapes, needlepointing wall hangings, and sewing everything.

Marjorie is survived by her three children, Judith Mehlberg Dopp (Craig), Linda Mehlberg Morris (Michael), and Robert Mehlberg (Jeanne); her grandchildren Deanna Kane (Bradley), Christina Dexter (Ryan), John Scranton (Rebecca), Lynna Scranton (Dominic Hill), Alexandra Morris, Nancy Guyer (James), Eric Mehlberg (Yvonne), and Scott Mehlberg; her great grandchildren Dakotah, Alexis, Brooklynn Kane; Chase, Cruz, and Dash Dexter; Kyle and Blake Koziel; Josh and Abby Scranton; Eby and Cormac Hill; Charlotte Sraietta; Karalina, Annika, Andrew, and Kirsten Guyer. She was preceded in death by her parents John and Ruth Berg, her brothers Orland and William Berg, and grandchildren Julie Koziel (Robert) and Brandon Morris.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 am, Saturday, February 9, 2019, at St. John Lutheran Church. Pastor Rev Anne Christiansen will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to services.

Burial will be in East Lawn Memorial Gardens.

Memorials may be made to St John’s Lutheran Church or Luther Oaks.

To view Marjorie's memorial page or to leave an online condolence please go to www.eastlawn-bloomington.com.