Marjorie Stensland

Marjorie Stensland, age 96, passed away on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at her residence in Story City, IA. Marjorie Elizabeth Ann (Lettow) Stensland was born the 8th of 9 children to Otto and Anna (Runge) Lettow on July 24, 1923 on the Lettow farm, D41 which is 4 ½ miles southwest of Buckeye. Marjorie was raised on this farm and attended Buckeye No. 6 country school. She was baptized and confirmed at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Buckeye. Marjorie is of German descent but when she married Russell Stensland on February 14, 1945 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Radcliffe, she became part Norwegian. She learned to make many of the Norwegian foods and goodies like kumla, kringla, krumkake and many more. She also was skilled in hardanger stitchery and made many, many doilies. Marjorie was a master homemaker and cook. For many years she made beautiful cakes for weddings, confirmations, birthdays, anniversaries and doll cakes. She was also known to get her vacuum cleaner out on occasion (which for her was every day). She took pride in her flowers and lawn and it paid off when she and Russ got the Yard of the Month. When her daughters were all in school, Marjorie started working first at the Chatterbox Café, then at the school as a cook for the student lunches and after a couple of years there, she worked at the Cardinal Café until she was 82 years of age. She loved to have her family and friends over for coffee and afternoon lunch that would almost always be a banquet with sandwiches, kringla, cookies, chips, pickles, cheese and crackers, nuts and then for dessert, either brownies and ice cream or angel food cake with strawberries and cool whip. Mom was a member of Needle Circle for about 50 years. She was very active at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church helping in the kitchen, ladies aid, and singing in the choir. Russell and Marjorie hosted an AFS student from Thailand in 1965-66. Nanta was very special to them and they always called her their 4th daughter. Marjorie is survived by her daughters Vicki (Lance) John, Ames, Iowa; Claudia (Larry) Fuhrman, Story City, Iowa; Rose (Jim) Anthony, Truro, Iowa; grandchildren Mike Damske, Ames, Iowa; Shawn (Shona) Voigt, Victor, Idaho; Devin (Krissy) Fuhrman, Granville, Ohio; Sarah (James) McCuddin, Truro, Iowa; Bryce (Meggie) Fuhrman, Clear Lake, Iowa; and great-grandchildren Alyssa (Andrew) Morris, Truro, Iowa; Kyle (Sammantha) McCuddin, Patton, Missouri; Gracie McCuddin, Truro, Iowa; McKenna Fuhrman, Kaylin Fuhrman, Granville, Ohio; Luke Fuhrman, Clear Lake, Iowa; Ella Voigt, Victor, Idaho. Marjorie was preceded in death by her parents, Otto and Anna Lettow; husband Russell Stensland; sisters, Luella Lettow, Arlene Kinney, Leona Bussert, Vera (Patty) Brinkmeyer; brothers, Gustav Lettow, Elmer Lettow, Martin Lettow and Everett (Rusty) Lettow.