Marian Gorder

Marian Lydia Gorder, 102 of Fertile, MN formerly of Gary, MN, died peacefully at the Fair Meadow Nursing Home, Friday, January 23, 2026.

Marian was born at home in Elizabeth, MN, to Rudolph and Lydia (Boese) Borck on December 8, 1923. She is 100% German. She was baptized and confirmed by Pastor George Grabarkewitz at St. John Lutheran Church, Elizabeth.

She was very faithful in attending church services all her life. She taught Sunday School many years, she sang in church choirs and took part in the Ladies Groups/Circles. She attended grade school Dist. 37 and graduated from Fergus Falls High School in 1941. After working in Dalton at the Mohagen hardware for 15 months, Marian attended the Teacher Training class at Fergus Falls which opened in the fall of 1942. After completing the one-year course she started teaching in Otter Tail County, District 111, for three years, five years at Dist. 182 at the Barnhard School. She continued her education by attending summer school off campus courses, which were offered by Moorhead State University. One class offered a trip to Europe for credits. On that trip to Europe, she went to Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, England, Ireland, and Hawaii. Marian received her four-year degree at Moorhead State University. After returning from her trip to Europe, she taught four years in Morris, MN and thirteen years in St. Cloud, MN. In August 1956, she was a member of

Kappa Gamma Epsilou chapter and later Eta Chapter in St. Cloud.

July 27, 1968, Marian was united in marriage to Norman Gorder of Gary at St John Lutheran Church, Elizabeth, by Pastor David Prinz. She and Norman lived on his farm near Gary. They had no children. They attended Ness Lutheran church faithfully; a country church approximately 1/2 mile west from their home. Marian enjoyed assisting Norman with field work, learned to operate tractors, driving the combine and mastered the ability to drive the truck to unload grain.

Marian and Norman enjoyed many trips by car especially to National Parks and historical sites in the east. They traveled the Lewis & Clark Trail west to the Pacific, the Natchez Trace Parkway to lower Mississippi and Louisiana, drove to the tip of Florida, and went to Branson, MO for many years to enjoy the Christmas programs.

After her marriage to Norman, she continued teaching, one year in Twin Valley, MN and fourteen years in Mahnomen,

MN. After completing forty years of teaching, Marian retired in 1983. She was a member of MEA and MN Retired Teachers. Following Norman's death on April 11, 2013, Marian moved to the Normandy Living Center in Twin Valley in the fall of 2013. There she met new friends to visit and play whist, her favorite card game. She enjoyed musical programs. She liked to sing especially with her sister Evelyn, gardening, both vegetables and flower gardens, baking, cooking, embroidering, and crocheting, watching the Minnesota Vikings, the Minnesota Twins, and the Bison games, and Playing Whist and Bunco, What a wonderful life!

She is survived by several nieces and nephews; and her sister-in-law, Erma Gorder and brother-in-law, Howard Gorder.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman Gorder; her parents, Rudolph and Lydia Borck; brothers, Arthur and Rudolph Borck Jr.; sisters, Florence Woolliscroft and Evelyn Toft; brothers-in-law: Oscar Woolliscroft, Wendell Toft, Arnold Gunderson, Clarence Gifford Matson, Oscar Vigum, Lester Noss, Oreal (Tuby) Gorder; sisters-in-law: Rose Borck, Gladys Borck, Mildred Gunderson, Cora Matson, Marine Vigum, Maxine Noss, and Vera Gorder; nieces, Shawn Borck and Alice Noss; and nephews: Byron Borck, Norman Gunderson, Allan Matson, Donald Matson, and David Matson.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 2:00pm, with visitation 1 hour prior, at Ness Lutheran Church rural Gary, MN. Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 8, 2026, from 2:00pm – 4:00pm, with a prayer service at 3:00pm, at the Anderson Funeral Home in Twin Valley, MN. Interment will be held at the Ness Lutheran Cemetery.

In Lieu of flowers, Marian would like all memorials to go to the Ness Church Cemetery Fund.

Blessed Be the memory of Marian Lydia Gorder