Marcella "Marcie" Carlson

Marcella R Carlson (Kiefner), age 93, St Paul, MN

Beloved daughter, sibling, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, “Marcie” passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by family on Friday, Sept 23, 2022.  Preceded in death by her husband James E Carlson, she is survived by daughter Barbara Carlson (Steven Ahlquist), and sons Michael (Linda), Gary (Lisa), Paul (Heidi), Dale (Ann), and Steve.

Born to German immigrant parents on Jan 18, 1929, Marcie was part of a large family, where she was the eight of nine children.  She was preceded in death by her six sisters: Elsie Kernal, Agnes Schowe, Marie Palmer, Emma Kiefner, Helen Schaffhausen, and Janet Kiefner, and two brothers: Lawrence and George Kiefner. She went to Sacred Heart grade school before moving on to Harding High School, where she was not only a good student but a cheerleader as well.  While working at the Drug store on Maryland and Arcade, she met Jim Carlson after he returned from the war, noticing quickly that his favorite drink was a blackberry malt.

Marcie worked her magic with those malts, and she and Jim were married on Oct 8, 1949. They rented apartments or duplexes in Newport and various locations in St Paul before purchasing a house at 657 Plum St in St Paul.  Once settled in Marcie and Jim got to work on the business of raising six children. This included many hours working at Sacred Heart church and grade school doing breakfasts, school lunches, funeral luncheons, etc.  After years of packing up for the annual summer vacation at various resorts “up north,” they purchased a cabin on Elbow Lake outside of Cook, MN. The cabin provided many, many hours of the highest quality family time despite requiring a 4.5 hour drive and 2 mile boat ride to get there.

Along the way, while managing the kids and the household, Marcie also worked a variety of jobs including actuarial work at the Degree of Honor Insurance Agency, publishing work at the St Paul Dispatch (where she would often meet Jim for lunch breaks when schedules permitted it), work at 3M, seasonal auditing work for the IRS, and as an interviewer for the St Paul branch of the Census Bureau.  Later in life, as the kids got older, she worked for an answering service and then became a telephone operator for St John’s Hospital and worked for 12 years before retiring.

In 1967, Marcie found another passion and became a founding member of the Powder Puff Clown Club, the first all women clown club in the state. This let her to spread joy and humor further into the communities in countless parades in towns across Minnesota.

After Jim retired from the St Paul Fire department, they sold the Plum St house and in 2003 moved in as one of the first residents to the newly completed Realife Cooperative of Phalen Village, shortly before Jim lost his battle with cancer. At Realife, Marcie kept busy with the numerous activities and events, quickly becoming an essential member of the vibrant residential community. Always active in her communities, Marcie also worked tirelessly to provide whatever support was needed to many siblings, relatives, and friends.

Across her 93 years on this earth Marcie was a positive impact on countless lives with her unique blend of work ethic, grace, dignity, and humor. She truly led by example and though we miss her tremendously, the kindness, love, courage, and compassion she demonstrated in her journey through life will always inspire us.

A visitation will be held at Mueller Mortuary in St Paul on 9/29/22 from 4-7 pm.  A funeral will be held at Sacred Heart Church in St Paul on 9/30/22 at 10:00 AM with a visitation beginning 1 hour prior, followed by a reception at Mueller Mortuary, 835 Johnson Parkway, St. Paul.

Obituary as published in the Pioneer Press:

Marcella R Carlson (Kiefner)
Age 93 of St Paul, MN
 
Beloved daughter, sibling, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, "Marcie" passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by family on Friday, Sept 23, 2022. Preceded in death by husband James E Carlson, she is survived by daughter Barbara Carlson (Steven Ahlquist), and sons Michael (Linda), Gary (Lisa), Paul (Heidi), Dale (Ann), and Steve; 10 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
 
Marcie was always active in the community, whether at Sacred Heart Church and Catholic school, spreading joy as a founding member of the Powder Puff Clown Club, or providing critical support to family and friends in their most difficult times. She touched countless lives with her unique blend of love, dignity, and humor, and will be sorely missed.
 
A visitation will be held on Thursday 9/29 from 4-7pm at Mueller Memorial, 835 Johnson Pkwy, St. Paul. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday 9/30 at 10am with visitation beginning at 9am at Sacred Heart Church, 840 6th St. E, St. Paul.