Marjorie Kathleen WOODROFFE

1922 - 2019  (96 years)

• Name	Marjorie Kathleen WOODROFFE
  Birth	19 Dec 1922	Hennepin County, Minnesota
  Gender	Female
  Minnesota Birth Certificate	1922-50430
  Death	27 Apr 2019	Minnesota
  Notes	Her birth certificate was indexed as Woodruffe. Jonak, Marjorie K. (Woodroffe) Our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, age 96, passed away on April 27 in the presence of her children and other family members. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward S. Jonak. She will be dearly missed by son Michael (Roya), daughters Marianne Halling (Chris) and Molly Riddle (Chris), grandchildren Charlie, Joe, Emily, John, Mina, Eric, Eddie, Helen and Marin, and great-grandchildren Aidan, Lily and Ella. Marge, as everyone knew her, was born in Minneapolis in December 1922 to William (Bill) and Lucille Woodroffe. Although Marge grew up an only child, her mother was one of 17 children, so there were plenty of cousins with whom she established life-long relationships. During the early years of Marge's childhood, Marge's father purchased Northland Lodge, a resort on the shores of Big Winny in northern Minnesota. In the fall of 1935, Bill was diagnosed with cancer, and he passed away on November 25, 1935. As Marge remembered, her mother "decided it was sink or swim," took out a loan against their house in Minneapolis, and invested the proceeds in the resort. Marge stayed with family in Minneapolis during the school year, and joined Lucille at the resort every summer. Marge earned her keep cleaning cabins (and fish), waiting tables, carrying water from the well, hauling wood and doing whatever other chores needed to be done to make the resort a success. In 1938, Marge registered as a freshman at St. Margaret's Academy, where she made numerous life-long friendships. She graduated from St. Margaret's in June of 1941, and headed back up north with Lucille. In the winter of 1944, Lucille was diagnosed with cancer. The decision was made to sell Northland Lodge, and the sale was completed in the spring of 1945. Lucille and Marge returned to their home in Minneapolis, where Lucille passed away in December 1945. Marge found a job at Multigraph Corporation, which led to an even better job at Honeywell, where she worked for nine yearsand met the man who would later become her husband & our father/grandfather, Ed Jonak. Marge and Ed were married in February 1954. In June 1955, Marge and Ed moved into the "dream home" they had designed and built on Peninsula Road in Medicine Lake. In February 1959, they were visited at their home by prospective adoptees Michael (then 3 1/2 years old) and Marianne (18 months old). As Marge recalled: "On February 17, [the social worker] called and asked how we felt about the children, and after our comments she announced they would bring them to the house with their belongings on the following day." But that was only the beginning: In the spring of 1962, Marge was happily surprised to find herself pregnant. In the fall of 1962, the family was blessed with the arrival of our "little sister," Molly. Shortly before Molly's birth, the family had moved to their new home in Fridley, where all three children grew up. Marge was a "stay-at-home Mom," which was a wonderful thing for her children. In addition to keeping a beautiful house, cooking, cleaning, etc., she was able to spend some quiet time enjoying her favorite hobbies, painting and photography. Marge was an accomplished artist, and later branched out into other media, including stained glass and wood carving. She was also an aspiring musician, and gained proficiency on everything from the banjo to the guitar to the old Hammond organ. Sadly, Ed was diagnosed with cancer in early 1986, and died that June. After a few years, Marge moved to a comfortable townhome in Coon Rapids, where she lived until her passing. She missed Ed dearly, but found ways to stay active and engaged. One of her great passions was golf. She became a long-term member at Bunker Hills golf course in Coon Rapids, and enjoyed many rounds (of golf that is) with her friends in the Bunker Hills Ladies League. She also continued to create artistically, and to enjoy and encourage her children and grandchildren (and, eventually, great-grandchildren). As time passed, she nurtured friendships from as far back as her childhood, in addition to providing her kids (and their kids) with boundless love and affection. (Marge wanted us to mention that she truly was a "people person" who loved and was loved by friends and family.) We all have such happy memories of holidays spent together at Marge's house, and the traditions that were created and continued over so many years. All of you reading this who knew her will smile in recalling the seemingly endless energy and generosity that she brought to whatever task was at hand. She was a good and faithful friend, a wonderful mother, a creative, joyful and loving individual, and the epitome of the can-do spirit of the "Greatest Generation." She was also a devout Catholic, and as she began to approach the end of her life, she often expressed the joy she felt in being reunited with her mother and father, her husband, and so many dear relatives and friends. We will all miss her terribly, but we also take comfort in the example she set of how to live life to its fullest, to face adversity with determination, and to keep friends and family close in our hearts. We want to extend special thanks to the staff at J.A. Wedum Residential Hospice in Brooklyn Park (and in particular to "favorite" nurses" Anne and Meta) for their kindness and caring, and to Angie and Dave Nelson, who did so much for Marge during their fourteen years as neighbors and friends. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 2 at Billman-Hunt Funeral Chapel, 2701 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, with Celebration of Life at 6:00. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, May 3 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in northeast Minneapolis. Private interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
  Person ID	I6040	Don Carlson's Tree
  Last Modified	3 Jun 2019

  
  

  Father	William Watson WOODROFFE,   b. 17 May 1892, Colorado d. 27 Nov 1935, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 43 years)
  Mother	Lucille K MAYER,   b. 15 Jul 1894, Minnesota d. 1 Sep 1945, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Age 51 years)
  Marriage	2 May 1918	Hennepin County, Minnesota
  Family ID	F3760	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Edward Stanley JONAK,   b. 9 Aug 1922, Hennepin County, Minnesota d. 30 Jun 1986, Anoka County, Minnesota (Age 63 years)
  Marriage	Feb 1954
  Family ID	F4136	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Jun 2019