Margareta was born in Sundsvall, Sweden on July 26, 1946 and was adopted within a year by an elderly couple, Alfred and Marta Sjolund in Bjorna, Sweden. Their grown children, Ivar and Ruth also guaranteed Margareta’s welfare. She grew up about 350 miles north of the capital Stockholm, Sweden. A class photo of her in fourth grade showed the sun shining on her, alone. She chose to be baptized already at the age of 13. As a youth, she enjoyed spending time with friends, & going swimming in the nearby river. She loved dancing and took every opportunity to attend local dances. She got a bachelor’s degree in accounting and started her career in 1963.
In 1965, Margareta reunited with her biological mother and spent about 8 months with her, working at her mother’s accounting firm. She had selected the same profession without knowing that…
I met Margareta in the early fall of 1964, and we became close friends within a few months. When I started studying in Stockholm in the fall of 1965, Margareta moved there, too. While I studied, Margareta provided much support, working at the Swedish HQ of Agfa-Gevaert, while I added up student loans. We got engaged in 1967, married in 1968 and had our first daughter, Annica in 1969.
In 1971, I got a job offer that relocated us 100 miles west of Stockholm. Margareta blessed me with our 2nd daughter, Susanne, in early 1972. My new career took me from home extensively, but Margareta was a loving mother to our daughters & raised them well.
In 1975, a brain tumor was discovered, and she had her first brain surgery, followed by 6 weeks of radiation. Margareta quickly made a 100% recovery and continued to care for me and our children. She also spent time with close friends almost every afternoon while the girls were at school. She enjoyed hosting dinner parties and often the evenings would end with dancing. Many winters we would go skiing in the mountains and every summer was spent at our cabin. She resumed working in 1976 until the summer in 1984, when we were asked to move to USA to start a subsidiary of the parent company I worked for. She (and our children) did not hesitate to take on that challenge. Margareta had a VISA without work permit but worked as much as I did… 7 days a week, but without any salary, in order to make our huge move a success. After 2.5 years in USA, we were granted Permanent Residency in USA, and Margareta could continue working, but now with a salary!
In 1988, we moved the business from Rockford, IL, to the Minneapolis area. We built a new home in Northfield, MN, and stayed there for almost 30 years! Our home was nestled between a lake and a forest, so it attracted all sorts of birds & wildlife that Margareta loved to watch.
The company Margareta and I founded and built, grew rapidly but in 1992 I was asked to move back to Europe for a position at their new HQ in Switzerland. A big decision to make, but with our two girls “rooted” in USA, both Margareta and I wished to stay. I provided industry consulting until May of 2001 when we decided to start our own business. Our savings was the startup funds, we racked up credit card debts and worked without salaries for 1.5 years. We once again worked 7 days a week, like we did right after the move to USA! Margareta never challenged our decision or complained over workload or compromises. She supported me all the time and was always “the heart” in our social life and with our children.
In August 2002, we lost our youngest daughter, Susanne. She was only 30 years old and it was a devastating loss, but we had to overcome. Margareta once again proved her perseverance and strength.
In 2005 her speech started to deteriorate, and she was diagnosed with brain cancer in the same location as 30 years earlier. Another brain surgery to remove it took place in 2006. Months of therapy helped her recover, although her speech remained impaired. Margareta never complained about her setback but continued her therapy and she made improvement over the next years.
In 2010, she had a major stroke. I was on business away from home for around 6 hours when this happened to her, and I still blame myself for that. The stroke severely affected her right side, mostly her arm and leg. Margareta began therapy, and after around a year she was able to walk limited distances again, even without a cane! Two years after the stroke, she fell and fractured her hip on her way to bathroom. This time the stroke symptoms came back but with more severity than after the stroke itself. Therapy sessions resumed and were repeated in several rounds over the next 7 years, but she remained bound to a wheelchair, and her speech stayed minimal. However, her spirit was not crushed, and she was bound and determined to live life to the best of her ability.
We enjoyed many travel adventures all over the world with and without friends & relatives. including a long vacation every summer to our cabin in Sweden. We have been there every year since 1967!
This summer, Margareta had new symptoms when we were at our cabin in Sweden. We were forced to return early and after multiple tests, an MRI showed that an aggressive cancer had spread throughout her brain and her destiny was doomed. She stayed at our home in our care, with a 24-hour health aid and hospice services until her final breath at 5:25 am on September 1.
Like Job, she endured many trials and suffering, but she never gave up hope or faith. She loved animals & people and always treated everyone with love & dignity. Singing & dancing always put a smile on her face. She enjoyed reading, travelling and the outdoors. She spent many hours watching wildlife and picking berries or mushrooms in the beautiful nature of Sweden.
She will always be loved, never forgotten & forever missed…
Written by her loving husband, Tomas Lenman.
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