Joan Marek

Joan DeLaine McLaren was born to Herbert and Hazel (Nelson) McLaren April 27, 1934 in Fargo, ND. She passed in her sleep on April 1, 2017, with her children and many other loved ones taking turns at her side. She was confirmed in the Lutheran Church Nov 8, 1949 and had a strong belief in God. She graduated from Fargo Central High in 1953 and went to work for Northwestern Bell as a telephone operator. On September 19, 1953 she was united in marriage with Jerald Marek in Moorhead MN. Her marriage transformed the career she loved as an operator to housewife and mother and this petite 5 foot lady produced eight children, three sons and five daughters, who proved to be more than a handful, but her feistiness more than made up for any lack in size, as she put it "dynamite comes in small packages". She spent the majority of her life in the Fargo-West Fargo area excluding about two years living with her son Tracey and his family in Tulsa, OK, in the early 1990s. Throughout her life she was a very good cook making mess-hall proportions and teaching the value of food. The bones were shining before dessert and not just seconds on the meat! Her cinnamon rolls were excellent and fun to watch as she made a huge amount. She even kept the family goat, Billy, in line. Who would try get into the farmhouse kitchen through the screen door. Out with her broom Joan would come, yelling "William!!” who would directly run to the top of her 1959 Ford wagon. She could only laugh as she stood there watching him shiver uncomfortably. She was a dedicated Twins and RedHawks fan with input for the manager, or any others for that matter. She may hold a record for paint by number. Anyone visiting would soon come to know her beloved cat, Baby Sox, you would likely rename Lucifer. Joan leaves behind her daughter Roxane (Greg) Score, Milton, FL, son Tracey (Valerie), Tulsa, OK, daughter DeLayna Davitt, Duluth, MN, son-in-law David Larson, daughter Wendy Lee, Fargo, ND, daughter Roseanna Kopperdahl (Matt Farris) Fargo, ND, 23 grandchildren, many great grandchildren, and 1 great great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Duane and Donald, husband Jerald, Sons JD and Joe, daughter Dawn Larson, son-in-law Matt Davitt, and grandson Cody.