Margaret Seland Obituary

Margaret L. Seland, age 89, of Fergus Falls, MN passed away Monday afternoon, June 23, 2025, at LB Broen Home surrounded by family. She was born September 28, 1935, to Alf and Johanne (Nilsen) Benson in Brooklyn NY.
Margaret graduated from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in 1953. After high school she attended Lutheran Brethren Schools in Fergus Falls, enrolling in the Bible College. It was during this time she met her future husband, Paul Seland, from Westby, WI. Margaret and Paul were married on June 15, 1963, at 59th Street Lutheran Brethren Church in Brooklyn NY.
Before her marriage she worked in Manhattan for 8 years at Mobil Oil Co. She held the positions of secretary to the VP of Marketing and Manufacturing and assistant secretary to the Chairman and CEO. After Paul graduated college in Moorhead, MN, he went back home and worked various jobs including the family farm. They kept in touch through letters and calls. While Margaret enjoyed her career, she also desired to be married and have a family. After a long-distance relationship lasting 7 years, Margaret and Paul were married. They lived in Westby and had two sons, David and Richard. Margaret raised her boys and also worked part time at the Westby Times Newspaper. In 1980 they purchased the funeral home in LaFarge, WI and moved there. Margaret worked at the Vernon County Treasurer's office and later became the County Treasurer. She served three elected terms. In 1998 they received the news that Paul had cancer. Margaret cared for Paul 24/7. She and many others prayed and pleaded for physical healing. The Lord had other plans. He called Paul home to Heaven in August of '99. At 63, Margaret became a widow. People would occasionally ask if she would remarry. Her answer was always the same, "I will always be Mrs. Seland".
In 2000, she moved to Fergus Falls. She wanted to be closer to the grandkids. She worked in the finance office at the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. She later was the bookkeeper at her son's flooring store. Upon retirement, Margaret moved to the Village Cooperative in Fergus Falls. She loved it there, often recruiting new members. She lived there 13-1/2 years. In November of '23 she moved to Park Gardens in Fergus Falls.
Margaret enjoyed opening up her home to friends and family, cooking meals, accounting work, gardening, board games, card games, going on walks, biking, picnics, camping, canoeing, traveling and in her younger years swimming and playing sports.
Margaret also enjoyed serving others. She volunteered many hours to beloved organizations' boards, committees and volunteer projects. Churches, Christian Schools, Village Coop, Hospitals, Crisis Pregnancy Center, Sunday Schools, Children and Women's Ministries, OT & Vernon County Republican Party, retirement ministries and election volunteering. She was a gifted musician. She sang in many choirs. She fondly reminisced about participating in the 1957, four thousand voice choir at Yankee Stadium during the 16-week Billy Graham Crusade. She sang duets with her husband at weddings and funerals, guitar and harp playing. She could play piano and organ by ear and used these gifts at every church she was part of. She was a loyal friend. She loved to visit over coffee and dessert. She often made new friends by her outgoing, warm personality, always with smiles and laughter. Her approach to others can be summed up with the words from Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one".
Margaret loved Jesus. She made the decision at an early age to trust and follow Him as her personal Lord and Savior. She believed in living out her faith, proclaiming to others through words and deeds. She loved her husband, family, the bible, church, friends, pastors, music, her Norwegian heritage, devotions, bible study & prayer and meaningful discussions about spiritual things. Some of her favorite verses were Philippians 1:21, Psalm 73:23-26, Psalm 90:14, Psalm 94:19 and I Cor. 2:9. She took refuge in passages that speak of God's comfort, taking heart, Assurance of Salvation, Christ's Second Coming and Heaven.
Margaret is survived by her 2 sons, David of Gulfport, MS and Richard (Tobi) of Battle Lake, MN; 4 grandchildren, Reilly (Mitchell) Schumacher, Brooklyn, Layne, Titus (Amy), all of Fergus Falls; 4 great grandchildren, Luca, Noah, Bergen, Isaiah; Her dear sister-in-law Lil Seland; Her dear niece Joan (Jim) Soholt; Her dear nephews Tim (Diane) Seland, Mark (Laura) Seland, Mark (Cathie) Helland and Wayne (Lisa) Helland; Her dear cousins and friends from Norway, Brooklyn, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Arizona.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul, parents Alf and Johanne (Nilsen) Benson, sister Mabel (Helland), brother-in-law Harland Helland, brother-in-law DeVerne Seland & father and mother-in-law Clarence and Signe (Skolas) Seland.
Funeral service will be held at 11 am Monday, June 30, 2025, at Bethel Church in Fergus Falls. Visitation 1 hour prior to the service at Bethel. Burial service will be held at 10 am July 1, 2025, at Bethesda Cemetery, east of Westby, WI.
Memorials are preferred to Hillcrest Academy, I-Point and the CLB.
BLESSED BE THE MEMORY OF MARGARET LILLIAN SELAND
Past Services
Graveside Service
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Starts at 10:00 am (Central time)
Bethesda Lutheran Cemetery