Marian L. Sonaglia

On October 16th, 2022, the heavens opened wide to welcome Marian Louise (Duden) Sonaglia home! On Thursday, October 27th, 2022 a memorial service will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN. Visitation will begin at 9:30am and the service at 11:00 am.

Marian was born on March 8, 1926 on the family farm in Featherstone Township, Goodhue County, MN. Her parents were Clarence and Emma Duden.  She was the oldest of four children – three girls, one boy. Her childhood stories were filled with all the adventures of a Red Wing MN farm girl, including walking long distances to school during snow storms (for real) and riding in a horse-drawn sleigh to church.

In 1944, when World War II  was in full force and Marian was only 18 years old, she and seven classmates passed Civil Service Tests and were off to work in Washington, D.C.  She became a clerk typist for a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. The girls lived in the barracks for 18 months, until the war ended, with no visits home. She and her friends remained close for the rest of their lives and Marian was the last of them to pass.

She met Tom Sonaglia (from Hibbing, MN) in 1944, before leaving for Washington. He was playing clarinet in a Red Cross band in Red Wing and she was selling tickets to their fund-raising performance. In 1948 they married and moved to the Iron Range where they raised four girls. Marian doted on her girls. At church, and especially on holidays, they were perfectly groomed and stylishly dressed. Like many 50’s housewives she started her cooking when her girls were off to school, and fresh-baked cookies were often on the counter when they returned. She will be remembered by many for her chocolate chip cookies as she often sent them as gifts. She created a home where friends, young and old, would gather. Her celebrations were always first class – Marian loved a party.

When her children were young, she attempted a career in retail sales and after three days, she quit.  When she announced the news to her children, they proclaimed it was the happiest day of their life. Recognizing that nurturing and caring for children was her gift, Marian started a 1960’s version of daycare for a handful of families. She excelled in her new role and loved working from home. To this day the Mattson boys, her longest daycare run, are considered family. She loved them dearly. 

Marian had an eclectic list of interests and hobbies. Her family tradition of playing cards every Saturday night led her to become a competitive Duplicate Bridge player. When not competing, she enjoyed being involved in two Bridge Clubs, where she met some of her closest and dearest Hibbing friends. She also enjoyed antiquing and garage sale-ing. It was a thrill for her to discover a rare treasure or an exceptional bargain. Her vintage glass and serveware collection is vast and beautiful.

After Tom’s passing in 1989, she began traveling with the Hibbing “Ladies Only” group and enjoyed exploring many historic cities and towns. She loved to read People magazine to keep current on all things Hollywood. She watched Jeopardy every afternoon, Family Feud at night and never, ever left her bed in the morning until her daily crossword puzzle was complete. This, she said, was to keep her brain sharp – and that it did!

In 2007 Marian sold her home in Hibbing and moved to Grandview Estates in Sartell. This move allowed her to be closer to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As an unexpected bonus, she made some of her most precious friends.  Her apartment family included her in all their activities and showed her some of the best times of her final years. As she grew older and became frail, they kept diligent watch over her, which contributed greatly to her staying in her home. For this, her family is forever grateful.

Marian’s faith in God and her relationship with her church community was of paramount importance. In Hibbing she was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and their Evening Guild. In Sartell, Messiah Lutheran. She worshiped every Sunday in church until it was no longer possible for her to attend. She kept her Portals of Prayer on her nightstand and ended every day with the word of God. Marian was a faithful servant to the Lord.  

Marian was preceded in death by her beloved parents, in-laws, husband, daughter Debra, and sisters Lorraine Huppert (Red Wing, MN) and Arlene Benson (Cannon Falls, MN).

She is survived by three daughters: Michelle (Dennis) Cannon of Eden Prairie, MN; Mary (Paul) Gelhaus of Cable, WI; and Gina Sonaglia of Clearwater, MN. She was adored by her grandchildren Katie (Jeremy) Palmer of Sartell, MN; Jeff (Sarah) Cannon of Chanhassen, MN; John (Jenny) Cannon of Minnetonka, MN; Anne (Nick) Heinze of Chanhassen, MN; Nicholas (Alexis) Blaske of Sisseton, SD; and Christopher Blaske of Fargo, ND. No one filled her heart with more joy than her great-grandchildren: Joey, Colten, Isaac, Jacob, Allie, Dylan, Nora, Ben and sweet Caroline. She leaves behind one brother, Duane Duden of Red Wing, MN and many nieces and nephews whom she loved as if they were her own.

The family would like to express heart-felt thanks to the nurses at CentraCare Home Health & Hospice for the exceptional care they provided Marian in her home. She always looked forward to their visits. The family wishes any memorial tributes be made in Marian’s name to Quiet Oaks Hospice House, 5537 Galaxy Road, St. Augusta, MN, 56301. Marian’s peaceful passing and the ability for her family to fully embrace her during her final days was possible only because of their compassionate and professional care.