Marjorie A Forest

Marjorie "Marj" Forest, age 78, Clark, died peacefully in the Prairie Lakes Hospital at Watertown on Saturday morning, November 8, 2014 with family at her side after suffering an apparent stroke at her home the night before. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 from 5-7PM with a Liturgical Wake Service beginning at 7PM all in the St. Michael's Catholic Church at Clark. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 10:30 AM in the St. Michael's Catholic Church at Clark with The Reverend John Short officiating. Honorary casketbearers will be her granddaughters, Megan, Melissa, Laura, Lisa, Karly, Kari, Jill, Shannon and Madison. The active casketbearers will be her grandsons, Trent, Todd, Brian, James, Josh, Tony, Blake, Trevor, Jared and Rory. Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. She was born Marjorie Jenkins at Clark on March 9, 1936, the daughter of Doyle and Vera (Huber) Jenkins. Marj was schooled at Ash Consolidated and graduated Raymond High School in 1954. During high school she was a candidate for homecoming queen and also thoroughly enjoyed playing softball, being a catcher when Dorcas Protexter was playing. Following high school she attended Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen for two years and obtained her teaching certificate. On August 21, 1956 she was united in marriage to James Forest at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Clark. Her first teaching contract was at Brentford. The couple lived there and Jim commuted back and forth to Clark. Following that school year, the couple moved to Clark. They lived in an apartment and she taught in Garden City for a year. For several years Marj was served as a substitute librarian and teacher. Later she was hired as a full-time elementary librarian. After her retirement, she became a caregiver for Grandma Anna Forest, Jim's mother. Marj really never did fully retire from teaching, even in recent years she would assist at Clark High School in the Special Foods classes. She was a longtime and faithful member of St. Michael's Catholic Church at Clark, serving in the Altar Society, teaching CCD and served as the chairperson of the funeral committee for over 14 years. In the community, Marj will long be remembered for her love of sports, especially basketball, traveling to many activities over the years, of her children and grandchildren. She was a member of the PEO and the Gourmet Club. She also enjoyed gardening, especially her flower gardens, having many roses and star-gazer lilies. Marjorie was such a gracious host, entertaining at her home, was a wonderful cook, never went hungry at her house, never! Second to none though, besides the love of her family, Marj was a card player thru and thru, having started it at an early age on the farm with her grandparents near Raymond. Her card game of choice was bridge, belonging to at least three bridge clubs currently! Her motto was "Bid High or Go Home!" Preceding her in death were her parents, a grandson, Jacob Folsland, a sister, Opal Howard, a sister-in-law, Barb Jenkins and a brother-in-law Duane Plucker. Grateful for having shared in her life is her husband Jim of over 58 years, of Clark, children, Tamara (Mike) Miller of Madison and their children, Trent (Julia), Todd (Nicola) and Brian, Carol (Steve) Folsland of Baltic and their children, Megan (Justin), Melissa (Al), Laura (Kristopher), Lisa (Dale), Karly (Tyler), Kari, Jill, James and Josh, Jacqueline (Wayne) Schlagel of Raymond and their children, Shannon (Jay), Tony (Kandice) and Blake and Brent (Monica) Forest of Clark and their children Trevor (Ashlyn), Jared (Candra), Rory and Madison. Also surviving are great-grandchildren, Karstyn, Bryson, Elizabeth, Emily, Kara, Aubrey, Adrian, Grady, Easton, Wyatt, Paisley, and McKoy. She is also survived by siblings, Jim Jenkins of Raymond and John (Mavis) Jenkins of Sioux Falls and sisters-in-law, Beverly (Richard) Adams and Joan Plucker. Memorials in lieu of flowers would be appreciated in her memory to the PEO, % Joyce Fjelland, 16783 421st Ave, Clark, SD 57225-5804 or the St. Michael's Altar Society, 110 N. Idaho St., Clark, SD 57225. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com