Mary Lundquist, 66, of Middle River, MN passed away on Tuesday March 14, 2023 at her residence.
Burial will be held at Spruce Valley Cemetery, rural Middle River, MN.
Mary was born April 12, 1956 and was raised on a family farm 2 ½ miles southwest of Middle River, MN in Spruce Valley Township.
She attended and graduated from Middle River High School, a BS=teaching degree from Bemidji State University (Art major, English minor) and M-Div degree from Luther Seminary. She also attained a certificate of completion in Swahili language studies from the Morogoro Lutheran Language School in Morogoro, Tanzania.
Mary traveled widely during her younger years and worked at a variety of jobs: ranging from hardware store clerk (6 years), Bible camp staff (4 ¾ years, various camps in various years), public school teacher (3 years), missionary-teacher to Tanzania for the American Lutheran Church (2 years), campus ministry director of a nonsectarian youth/Christian ed director at Bethel Lutheran in Bemidji, MN (1 year), manager of a paint crew which was for the most part made up of ex-cons in Mason City, IA (1 ½ years), while in seminary, Mary was a student assistant to the Region 3 Archivist.
Mary was ordained a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1995 and over the years served several congregations in Indiana and NW Minnesota. Retiring from full-time public ministry in 2016, she continued as a part-time pastor for Gustav Adolph Lutheran Church in Strathcona, MN. She also spent her time volunteering. She taught 2 free-to-the-community painting classes on Thursdays thru the Living at Home/Block Nurse programs.
Throughout her life, Mary was an artist, working primarily in clay, acrylic paint and pencil.
She is survived by her brother, Mark Lundquist, of Middle River, MN; sister, Joan Brodin, of Billings, MT; brother, Robert Lundquist and sister-in-law, Lynn Lundquist, of Eben Junction, MI; one niece; three nephews; as well as numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.
She is proceeded in death by her parents Milton Lindquist and Gladys (Toren) Lundquist Sorter, step-father Myron Sorter, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com
