Watch Margie's Memorial Service

Marjorie Irene Ellis, lovingly known as "Margie," passed away peacefully on May 21, 2026, in Fargo, ND, on the very day of her 66th wedding anniversary. She was 87 years old.

Margie was born Marjorie Irene Kjolberg on June 23, 1938, in White Earth, MN, to Lillian "Marian" Bellecourt and Robert Kjolberg. She was a proud Elder of the White Earth Nation and carried strength, resilience, and spirit throughout her life. She grew up alongside her siblings Ginger, Bobby, Rodney, and Rusty, attending White Earth Mission School through 8th grade before graduating from Waubun High School.

As a young woman living in an apartment above the café where she worked in Detroit Lakes, MN, Margie met the love of her life, drummer "Bill" Alvin Ellis. The two were united in matrimony on May 21, 1960, in Detroit Lakes.

Together they built a loving family through adoption, first welcoming home their five-month-old daughter, Michelle Marie "Shelly", on April 8, 1963. Margie's dear friends, Florence and Gideon Weber, served as Michelle's godparents. In 1964, they welcomed their six-week-old son, William Jr. "Tige", into the family, with Betty and Lloyd Benson serving as his godparents.

After living near Margie's parents, the family eventually settled in Albert Lea, MN, in 1967, where Margie and Bill made their home for more than 50 years. When her children reached 4th and 6th grade, Margie went to work outside the home and became a beloved lunch lady and playground aide at Lakeview Elementary, where she worked proudly for more than 27 years. Children knew her as both caring and no-nonsense — especially when it came to cleaning their plates.

Later, after the Weyerhaeuser Plant closed, Margie and Bill entered a long season of self-employment together, doing handyman work that included painting, lawn care, and snow removal. They worked hard, side by side, building their life through determination and grit.

Margie was famous for her overflowing gardens, especially her tomatoes, and for a kitchen that never seemed to rest. Cooking and baking were her love language. Family and friends eagerly awaited her potato candy, mocha bars, legendary lefse, and endless batches of deep-fried smelt that continued until everyone finally surrendered with full stomachs. Coffee, potato chips and dip, rummage sales, secondhand stores and an ice-cold beer with family and friends were among life's simple joys she thoroughly embraced.

She possessed a life-long passion for quilting, embroidery, sewing, and canning. For a while, she delighted in collecting and wearing wigs just for fun. Tiny but mighty, Margie was often described as "older than she weighed" — a firecracker and a force to be reckoned with. Though she never fully embraced driving a car, she walked everywhere she pleased, entirely on her own terms.

Margie had a tender heart beneath her fierce exterior. She faithfully checked in on elderly neighbors, especially widows living alone, and quietly cared for others whenever she saw a need. She cherished May Day traditions and delighted in sending her children through the neighborhood with baskets of treats for all the local dogs.

Margie shared a particularly close bond with her baby brother, Rusty, who was born in 1955, when she was 16. Margie and Bill often had Rusty along for their adventures! His passing in April 2005, followed by the loss of her beloved husband, Bill, later that same year, and her mother in April 2007, marked a season of profound heartbreak in her life. Yet through it all, she continued forward with the strength, resilience, and fierce spirit that defined her.

Margie was preceded in death by her parents, Lillian "Marian" Bellecourt and Robert Kjolberg; all her siblings; her cherished son, William Jr. "Tige" Ellis, in 1999; her beloved husband, William Sr. "Bill", in 2005; and her granddaughter, Nicole Sophia, in 2022.

She is survived by her daughter, Michelle Marie Ellis; her grandchildren: Tori (Calvin) Pagel, Caitlin Stern, and Ryan Stern; and her 10 great-grandchildren: Allie, Jordan, Charlotte, Henry, and Ella Pagel; Bridgett Stern; and Gianna, Olivia, Phillip, and Harrison Sophia. She is also survived by the children of her siblings, along with their spouses and families, all of whom she cherished deeply.

Her memory will live on in every shared recipe, quilt stitch, garden row, cup of coffee, rummage sale treasure, and story retold around the kitchen table.

The family extends unending gratitude to Jeff and Shirley Kjolberg for the care they provided during the last years of Margie's life spent "home" in Waubun, on White Earth land. A very special appreciation is also extended to Rodell and Lynn for their final visit and for filling Margie's last hours with all the laughter. She loved you all immensely.

A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at Anderson Family Funeral Home, Mahnomen, MN. A time of gathering will be held one hour prior to the service.