Frances "Elaine" Engen

Marshall: Frances “Elaine” Engen, age 84, formerly of the Slayton and Tracy areas, passed away at the Prairie Home Hospice House in Marshall on Saturday, June 14, 2014.
Funeral services will be 10:30 A.M. Saturday, June 21st at St. Stephen Lutheran Church. Visitation will be 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. with a 7:00 P.M. prayer service Friday at the Hamilton Funeral Home. Visitation will continue at the church on Saturday, one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Willow Lake Lutheran Cemetery in Murray County.
(Frances) Elaine was born on July 17, 1929 in Clearwater County near Clearbrook, Minnesota to Fredrick E. and Ragna (Melhus) Howard, the first born of three children. Elaine was baptized in the Catholic Faith in Clearbrook, Minnesota. She received First Communion and Confirmation in Currie, Minnesota. Elaine attended parochial school and the Sunrise Country School in the Currie area through eighth grade.
She began working in the Slayton and Tracy areas as a “Girl Friday” for several farm families, housekeeping and caring for their children. On September 11, 1949, Elaine was united in marriage to Donald Engen in Slayton. After their marriage, the couple moved to Faribault, where Donald worked on a fishing crew and Elaine prepared meals for the crew. Then the couple moved back home to Shetek Township to farm with Donald’s parents, Oscar and Jessie Engen.
Elaine and Donald were blessed with 5 children. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend and enjoyed gardening, canning, sewing and helping on the farm. Elaine’s greatest love in life was her family and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Her beloved husband Donald, died on January, 28, 1992. Elaine was an active member in her church, Willow Lake Lutheran, teaching Sunday School, dedicated to the Ladies Aid and quilting. She was an avid reader, especially American History, (sometimes reading all night). She was a collector of recipes and loved to cook and bake. Homemade bread and soup were her specialties, which she would frequently feed her neighbors and friends. Elaine was always willing to help and often cared for aging neighbors. In April 1993, Elaine married Harold Leversedge and he later passed away October 2011. Elaine joined Donald in Eternity on Saturday, June 14, 2014, at the Prairie Home Hospice House in Marshall, from Lewy Body Dementia.
She is survived by her five children; David (Eunice) of Sioux Falls, SD, Dale (Paula) of Bemidji, Denis (Brenda) of Westbrook, Julie (Dean) McDaniel of Marshall, Nancy (Joe) Beech of Hendricks; 12 grandchildren; Samantha, Hildegarde, Alanna, Mareva, Sara, Lisa, Jamie, Jessica, Benjamin, Brienna, Tiffany and Rachel; 21 great-grandchildren Garrett, Collin, Alex, Brittany, Devin, Derrick, Taylor, Mara, Thomas, Matthew, Damian, Devin, Chandler, Isabelle, Sydney, Darian, Noah,Gracie, Emma, Alexis and Hunter; 1 great great granddaughter Rylee; siblings, Leota Oslund of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, Roger (Marcella) Howard of Osceola, Wisconsin; 1 niece, 2 nephews, and many cousins and friends.
Elaine was preceded in death by her parents; husband Donald; niece, Sharon Oslund, and brother in law, Robert Oslund.
Blessed Be The Memory of Frances Elaine Engen.