Marjorie Lou (Miller) Flegel, 88, of Kulm, ND, passed away on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at the Wishek Living Center. Funeral services will be held at the Kulm Congregational Church at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 19. Inurnment will follow the service at the Congregational Cemetery, Kulm.

Marjorie was born on Sept. 26, 1934, to Henry and Esther (Nill) and grew up on the family farm south of Kulm with her two younger brothers, Erwin and Duane. She attended a one-room country school, then graduated from Kulm High School in 1952. She graduated from the Ellendale State Teachers College with a teaching degree and taught in the same one-room school she had attended in rural Dickey County. She also was a substitute teacher in the Lehr and Kulm schools. She married Lyonel Flegel June 12, 1955. They were married for 68 years, living on the family farm near Kulm, and had four children: Kelly, Crystal, Kurt and Luann. They both moved to the Wishek Living Center in November 2018.

Marjorie was a founding member of the Jolly Homemakers Club and a lifelong friend to the other members. She was also a longtime 4-H leader, where she shared her love of teaching. Marjorie served on the Kulm Windfest Committee, a job she loved. She also organized and directed an annual community play through Marvelous Productions, presenting a play each year during the Windfest celebration. She cherished working with the young actors each year, and also designed and created handmade quilts to be raffled to raise funds for Windfest.

Marjorie was a creative soul, and was a contributing writer to the book, "Day In, Day Out. Women's Lives in North Dakota." She was a local correspondent for the Bismarck Tribune for many years, and published articles in other publications. She was also a presenter at a writer's workshop in Grand Forks.

Marjorie was an artist, and showed many of her oil paintings at the Jud art show and was the featured artist one year. Marjorie loved to create handmade quilts, paint, read, complete nearly impossible jigsaw puzzles and take care of the Holstein calves on the family farm. She loved auction sales, arrowhead hunting, summer visits from her grandkids, her garden and listening to baseball games on the radio.

She managed the Fredonia Lodge, along with her daughters, and later managed two other houses, welcoming hunters from all over the country and making many new friendships. She always looked forward to seeing the hunters and their dogs each fall, and often treated them to a sausage supper.

She made Christmas tree ornaments for her grandchildren each year, so they were able to fill their own trees with her ornaments as adults. She also tended an apple orchard on the farm, which was a passion, as she made apple bars, apple juice and apple pie filling. She was a collector of hugs, always giving a hug to those she loved.

Marjorie was a supporter of the Service Dogs for America, Jud, so the family asks that any donations be directed there.

Marjorie is survived by her husband, Lyonel, her four children, Kelly, Crystal (Mark) Forster, Kurt Flegel and Luann Dart; five grandchildren: Shana Forster, Reid Forster, Shelby (Nate) Kirkwold, Logan (Becca) Flegel and Sam Dart; two great-grandchildren, Aidan and Ella Pederson; sisters-in-law Arlene Miller and Ann Miller; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Erwin Miller and Duane Miller.