Thief River Falls - Martha Walhaug, 74, died Thursday, March 27, 1997 at Northwest Medical Center in Thief River Falls. Arrangements were with green Funeral Home of Thief River Falls.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 1 at Salem Lutheran Church of rural Oklee with Rev. Randy Moe and Rev. Bob Paulsen officiating. Burial was in the Finnish Cemetery of rural Plummer.
Casketbearers were Jason Clark, T.J. Rux, Wade Forsberg, Brian Stenseth, Donnie Fremling, Charlie Johnson.
Martha Julia Lee was born on May 6, 1922 in Gull Lake, the daughter of the late Matt and Ida Heino Lee Fremling. She moved to the Plummer area at the age of six. She was baptized and confirmed in the Finnish Lutheran Faith and attended school in Plummer through the eighth grade. She was employed in the Chicago are during WWII. On January 18, 1946 she was united in marriage to Clarence Walhaug in rural Oklee. They farmed in north of Oklee in Garnes Township, Red Lake County for 30 years. She was also employed by Oklee manufacturing, Arctic Garment Wear and lived with her sister in Baudette where she worked at the Red Carpet Lodge of Baudette.
She was a member of Salem Lutheran Church, taught Sunday school there and was active in its Ladies Aid groups, Oklee PTA and served as a 4-H leader. Her hobbies were furniture upholstering, gardening and outdoor activities. She also baked and decorated wedding cakes and special occasion cakes.
She is survived by sons Eddie Mattison and Wayne Walhaug, both of Oklee; daughters Sharon (Warren) Larson, Shirley (Gary) Rux, and Carol (Richard) Clark all of Thief River Falls; 12 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; brothers John Lee of Chicago, IL and Donald (Gertie) Fremling of Silver Lake, WI; sisters Lydia Fremling of Duluth, Eva "Franny" Mattison of Baudette, Lois (Cyrus) Peterson of Thief River Falls, Betty (Christ) Weibe of Rolling Meadows, IL; sisters-in-law Louella Walhaug of International Falls and Clara Lee of Chicago, IL; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Clarence on September 2, 1972; parents; brothers Louis and Harold; and sisters Ruth, Pearl and Irene.