Marjorie Hazel Francis

Marjorie Hazel (Peterson) Francis January 22, 1921 – April 18, 2020 Former Lancaster Teacher dies at 99 years old. Marjorie Hazel Peterson was born January 21, 1921 on a farm near Renville, MN to Adolph and Hilma Peterson. She graduated from Granite Falls High School in 1939. On February 11, 1943, she married Avison Wendell Francis at Fort Dix, Trenton, New Jersey. Marje attended Mankato State Teacher’s College where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education, graduating on May 14, 1943. Her first teaching jobs were at Hendricks, MN for 2 years and then Hutchinson, MN for 1 year. She then took a 13-year break from teaching while her four kids were young. Marjorie and Avison lived in the student housing on the Mpls./St. Paul campus from 1946 to 1948 while Avison finished college. They moved to Windom, MN the fall of 1948 where Avison had his first teaching job. In 1959, Marje started teaching first grade in Mountain Lake, MN. She went to summer school at Winona, MN in 1962 and at Moorhead, MN in 1963 in order to be accredited for Special Education. In the summer of 1962, the family moved to Lancaster, MN where both A.W. and Marje had teaching jobs. When Marje and A.W. moved to Bird Island, MN in 1967, she taught in the nearby Olivia, MN school. In 1972, they moved to their cabin on Two Inlets Lake, which they purchased in 1965. Marjorie taught school at Nevis, MN for the 1973-74 school year, then substituted for the next school year before retiring. They owned the cabin for 31 years until 1996 when they decided it was way too much work. Selling the cabin and moving into an apartment in town was a better choice. Then in the fall of 2002, they moved to Phoenix, AZ, where their oldest son had a house for them to live in. Marjorie is survived by her son, Arthur Francis of Cottage Grove, MN; her daughter, Marty (John) Potrament of Hallock, MN; 12 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; 10 great-great-grandchildren; as well as several dozen nieces, nephews, cousins, and brother-in-law, Richard (Helen) Francis. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Avison Francis in 2008; her daughter, Mary Francis in 2014; her son, David Francis in 2019; her brothers, Clifford and Charles Peterson; her parents, Adolph and Hilma Peterson; and her in-laws, Alvarez, and Cyrilla Francis. Memorial services will be held 11 AM, Saturday August 15, 2020 at the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home, Park Rapids, MN with the visitation beginning one hour prior to the services. The family will host a luncheon following the services at the funeral home. To leave online condolences or to view the video tribute please visit www.jonespearson.com