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Margaret Hafner Margaret Hafner of Prior Lake, MN was 100 years old when she passed away on Wednesday, July 21, 2010.
On June 8th, 1910 Margaret Johanna (Fiess) Hafner was born and soon after baptized into her Christian faith in Shawano, WI. She was the daughter of the Rev. Traugott and Anna (Harms) Fiess. She also lived in Waupaca and Budsin, WI where she was confirmed into Christian faith by her father, a Lutheran pastor. After she graduated from Milwaukee Lutheran High School, she attended Concordia Teacher’s College in River Forest, Illinois. As an elementary teacher she taught in Lutheran elementary schools in Modena/Mondovi and Reedsburg, WI. Prior to her marriage, she taught at Emmaus Lutheran Elementary School in Milwaukee, WI where she had 44 students in one classroom!
In 1941, after three years of courtship via the mail and seeing her “husband to be” a combined total of only 11 days during three visits, she married the Rev. Herbert J. Hafner and moved to Alberta, Canada where her husband served three small churches. They traveled by horseback because the roads to the churches were impassible by car.
After one year in Canada, the Hafner family moved to Eagan, MN with their first born child, 6 week old son John Herbert and began serving Christ Lutheran Church. Here in June of 1944 & in the parsonage per the doctor’s plan, their second child, daughter Joanne Margaret was born.
After several years in rural Eagan, Pastor & Mrs. Hafner were asked by the district to start a mission church in Richfield, MN. With no members, they opened a Christian pre-school in a portable school house. Many of the families from their preschool became the nucleus of the new church. Marge had suggested the name Berea for this new church. The history of the name Berea comes from St. Paul’s writings in the book of Acts. Paul and Silas preached at Berea and the inhabitants "eagerly examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so" and many of them believed. After the Berea church got off to a good start, Pastor Hafner accepted a call to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Prior Lake MN in December of 1949. At this time Marge and Pastor had four children: John, 7 years; Joanne, 5 years; Paul, 2-1/2 years; and Lois, 10 months old. The family stayed here for seven years. During part of that time Marge taught the academic subjects at the Christian Day School while Pastor taught religion to the grade school students.
In 1956 Pastor Hafner received and accepted a call to Cadillac, MI, where Marge once again taught school. In 1963 after John and Joanne had left home for college, Pastor received and accepted a call to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Milan, MI where Marge worked for a group of dentists.
In 1975 Pastor and Marge retired and moved to Shakopee, MN where they purchased their first home and were active members of Christ Lutheran Church. Pastor continued to preach in his retirement as well as tune pianos while Marge worked as a Shaklee Supervisor which supported her interest in nutrition. Both Marge and her husband were part of the organizational process which preceded the opening of the Bethesda Thrift Store in Hopkins. They both volunteered with church activities and Marge was very involved in Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and Minnesota Concerned Citizens for Life.
Marge has always loved reading. Her mother once said that Margaret never had any objections from her daughter at bedtime, because she was always happy to go to bed so she could read before she fell asleep. Besides reading Marge has been equally passionate about gardening, photography, and travel. She took pride in her artistic endeavors which included India ink drawings and excellent penmanship. She fondly recalls how her father could make most anything including toys because he was so creative. He once made his own mimeograph machine…for you younger people; this was the forerunner of the copy machine. In retirement Marge and husband Herb traveled all over the U.S.A pulling their Scamp trailer behind them. They also enjoyed a cruise to Alaska and a trip to the Holy Land during which time Herb fell ill and was hospitalized in Jerusalem. After Herb was called to his heavenly home on September 5th, 1999, Marge took her children on a trip to Hawaii, the trip she and Herb had wished to take together. Later she joined her children on a Panama Canal cruise. Marge made a plan to live life to the fullest and she certainly has accomplished that goal. Marge’s family is very appreciative for her leadership in organizing the week long biannual 4th of July Hafner-Fiess Family Reunions which have occurred for over 40 years at Camp Okoboji in Milford, Iowa and is attended by family from all over the country.
Her goal has been to live to be 100 which she recently accomplished. This is a first in her family.
Marge will be loved and forever missed by children: John (Gayle) Hafner of Bloomington, Joanne (Jerry) Stark of Prior Lake, Paul (Elizabeth) Hafner of Delaware, OH; Lois Hafner of Laytonville, CA; 9 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren; sister, Anne Hafner, Victoria Butler; sister in law, Verona (Leo) Bock.
Celebration of Life service will Monday, July 26, 11 AM Fish Lake Immanuel Lutheran Church, Prior Lake with visitation 2 hours prior.
Interment St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, Prior Lake, MN
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