Sometimes when someone with a heart and body so strong, and a spirit so boundless 98 years does not seem nearly enough time to have been blessed to have had her as a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend.  Marie Margaret (Huss) Laber died on November 28, 2020, from complications of COVID 19 at Golden Acres Manor, Carrington, North Dakota.

Marie was the first daughter born into a family of 5 brothers.  Anna (Goebel) and Mathias Huss welcomed their first daughter on September 9, 1922.  She grew up on the family farm near Sykeston during the Great Depression.  She enjoyed telling stories about going to school with horse and buggy.  She said the horses got them home even in the worst blizzards.  She graduated from Sykeston High School as the Salutatorian of the class of 1940.

At a time when most young women married and started families shortly after graduation, Marie chose another path.  She got a job cooking for threshers, saved the money and entered Dakota Business College in Fargo in January 1942.  She worked for a family in Fargo for her room and board because the school didn’t have housing.  Upon completion of her studies she accepted a job at the Foster County Courthouse.  She worked at the courthouse until she married Leo Laber on November 20, 1946.  Together their family grew to include nine children.  Marie and Leo were married for 57 years when he passed in July 2004.

Marie instilled a strong work ethic in all of her children.  It didn’t matter whether it was mowing grass or leading a department or company – she expected us to do our best.  All of us remember Mom taking us to the bank to open a savings account when we received our first pay check.   This is a lesson many of us passed on to our children.

At the age of 49 Marie re-entered the workforce.  She served as the Sykeston School secretary and later as township tax assessor.  She held that position until she moved to Carrington in 2004.  In her own quiet fashion, she showed us that there is no right or wrong time to do things.  Do it when its right for you.

Marie was an avid sewer and quilter.  She taught all of her daughters to sew on Grandma Huss’ treadle machine.  When grandchildren began to arrive, she switched to making denim quilts from recycled jeans.  She was also a life-long journaler.  Her first journal was a 5-year diary she got for Christmas from her sister Genny.  When she finished the diary, she started writing in spiral notebooks.  She always included something about the weather and anything else that may have happened that day.  We think those journal entries helped to win an argument or two.

Marie’s strong Catholic faith was present throughout her life. It sustained her through the toughest times in her life.  One of her favorite places to pray was on her walks in the country near the farm.  She missed not being able to attend Mass.  She was a member of St. Elizabeth’s and later Sacred Heart Catholic Church.  She was honored as a 75 year member of the Catholic Aid Society at St. Elizabeth’s in Sykeston.

Her love of family and her deep faith were followed closely by her pride in country.  Marie was proud of her brothers, husband, three sons, and granddaughter that served in the military.  She understood, perhaps more than most, the sacrifices made by military families – first as a member of a Gold Star family and then as a Gold Star mother.

Marie is survived by her children – Leonard Laber, Margaret Wall, Louise (Joe) Potocki, Mark Laber, Jennifer (Doug) Wede, Benjamin (Judi Leonard) Laber, Frank Laber, and Laurel Uznanski, 16 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, and sisters Genny (Stanley) Copenhaver and Lillian Aljets.

She was preceded in death by her husband Leo, son Merlin, sons-in-law John Wall and Ken Uznanski, Jr., granddaughter Erica Wall, and brothers, Walter, Matt, John, Fritz, and Tom Huss.

The Family Requests that all visitors wear a mask at all times during all services.

 

Her Visitation will be Thursday, December 3, 2020, 1:00PM – 5:00PM with family present from 2:00 – 3:00PM at Evans Funeral Home, Carrington.

A Private Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, December 4, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Carrington.

Her Burial will be at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Cemetery, Sykeston.