Marrion "Billie" Walsh

Marrion Emily (Jahnke) Walsh, affectionately called “Billie” by many, was born on August 1, 1924, in Devils Lake, North Dakota, to Charles and Mary (Wilkins) Jahnke. She grew up in Rock Lake with her four sisters, where her father owned the Jahnke Brothers General Store. Proud of her hometown roots, Marrion often recalled waiting on customers at the store and spending joyful summers at the family cabin at Lake Upsilon—always bringing along a gallon of yellow paint to freshen things up.

Marrion was well-educated, adventurous, and independent. After graduating high school in 1942, she attended college in Aberdeen, Washington, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy with her best friend from Rock Lake. She served in the Bronx, New York, Georgia, Mississippi, and New Orleans. Known for her tall stature and quick wit, she once volunteered to clean the highest area of the women’s quarters, assuming “no one would look up there, anyway.” To her dismay, Eleanor Roosevelt, also a tall women, conducted a white-glove inspection and found dust on top of the door frames. The entire unit was confined to quarters for “dust on the overhead.” Marrion’s role as a Navy Storekeeper Dispersing 1st Class Petty Officer meant she was responsible for making sure sailors were paid—making her very popular. She often said, “We wanted to be participants, not onlookers, in the most momentous event of our time.” She remained deeply proud of her WWII service and her country.

After the Navy, Marrion cared for her parents until their deaths, then returned to North Dakota State University to complete both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She began a long and impactful teaching career in history and geography at Ben Franklin Junior High in Fargo. Known as “strict but fair,” she told students each first day: “Today will be your hardest day because I’m going to tell you my expectations. After that, we’ll get along just fine.” And they did!

Her dedication to education earned her fellowships at the University of Maryland, Colorado State, and the University of Minnesota. Later, she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to teach at Winckley Convent School in Lancashire, England. She cherished the moment a nun rushed in to tell her that all her students had passed their exams and would go on to college. During her time abroad, she made lifelong friends, traveled widely, and even attended a royal garden party, where she was presented to the Queen Mother and Margaret Thatcher. Her students proudly taught her how to curtsey—complete with white gloves and a proper hat, which has since become a piece of family legend.

In Fargo, Marrion met Dr. Frederick Walsh, and the two married on June 6, 1981. They shared a passion for travel and conversation, wintering in Florida and exploring the world together. They visited Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Britain, Malaysia, Singapore, and all 50 U.S. states. A waitress once remarked how delightful it was to watch them because they were “so interested in each other and had so much to talk about.”

Beyond teaching, Marrion had many interests: Western history, reading, camping, needlework, genealogy, visiting family, and even digging for dinosaur bones on a friend’s ranch in North Dakota. She was active at the First Congregational United Church of Christ and with the Family History Workshops at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where she gave many Round Table presentations. In 2017, she joined other veterans on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., and at age 93, she proudly threw out the first pitch at a Fargo RedHawks baseball game.
Marrion often said she had “a life well-lived.” Her sister once summed it up perfectly: “Every family should have a Billie.”

Marrion passed away on October 8, 2025, at Elim Care Center, at the age of 101.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Frederick; her parents, Charles and Mary Jahnke; and her sisters and their spouses: Charlotte (Egil) Hovey, Margaret (Guy) Straley, Ila (Harvey) Coon, and Norine (Lowell) Lussenden.

She is survived by her stepsons Frederick (Jeanne) Walsh of St. Paul, MN, and David Walsh of Daytona Beach Shores, FL; five step-grandchildren and 12 step-great-grandchildren; a dear step-daughter-in-law, Terri Walsh; 9 nieces and nephews; 11 great-nieces and nephews; and 21 great-great-nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial are preferred to the Pioneer House or to the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County (Hjemkomst Center).

FUNERAL SERVICE: 10:00 AM Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center – with a visitation starting at 9:00 AM.

BURIAL: Riverside Cemetery in Fargo

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center in Fargo. To sign the online guest book, or to view a livestream of the funeral service, please visit our website at www.boulgerfuneralhome.com