A. Gwen (Myklebust) Plemel

Anita “Gwen” Plemel, 76 of Fargo formerly of Starkweather, ND passed away on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at Elim Rehab and Care Center in Fargo. Mass of the Resurrection will be held on Monday, July 11, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake with the Very Reverend C.F. Wilhelm celebrating the Mass. Burial will be in the Assumption of Mary Catholic Cemetery, rural Starkweather. Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Sunday, July 10, 2016 from 1:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. with a Rosary and Scripture Service at 2:00 p.m. The Rosary will be led by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Gwen was born on March 9, 1940 at Mercy Hospital, Devils Lake, the daughter of Theodore and Margaret (Boehmer) Myklebust. She grew up and attended grade school in the Starkweather and Edmore, ND area. The family moved to McVille, ND and she attended McVille High School. Gwen was always a hard worker and worked as a waitress in McVille and other various jobs and she also was the loving care giver to her mother and to her mother and father in-law Dortheus and Raymond Plemel, in their final years. Gwen was united in marriage to Richard “Dick” Plemel on October 11, 1958 at Assumption of Mary Church in Starkweather. They established their home in the Plemel family farm and worked side by side in the farming business, retiring in 1996. This was home until Dick’s death on March 22, 2009 and Gwen moved to Devils Lake. In 2012 Gwen moved to Fargo, ND as her medical needs increased. First and foremost, Gwen was a devoted wife and mother and loving grandmother and great grandmother. Along with her active role in farming, she was the housewife who was an excellent cook and baker, talented seamstress, even sewing prom dresses for her youngest daughter, keeper of a huge garden and all that goes with it; weeding, canning and processing all the produce and tending to the flower beds that she enjoyed so much. Gwen still found time to bake her specialties for others in the area and she and Dick were a lefse making team and supplied family, friends and neighborhoods with lefse for all their special occasions. When the kids were older, she worked for a time at the Starkweather Public School. Gwen was an active member of Assumption of Mary Church and the Altar Society and after moving to Devils Lake was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. She also enjoyed membership in the Elks and Eagles Lodges. When she decided work was done for the day, Gwen enjoyed playing BUNKO with friends and a very competitive game of Aggravation with the grandchildren. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were her pride and joy and she was always eager to hear about the activities and happenings in each of their lives. With each challenge in Gwen’s life, she looked to her faith and her family and friends to help her through it. She will be greatly missed. She is survived by her children Denise (Todd) Gaard, Detroit Lakes, MN, Timothy (Linda) Plemel, Oakes, ND, Todd (Sara) Plemel, Devils Lake and Melissa (John Biedermann) Rud, Garrison, ND; grandchildren Ryan (Jessica) Gaard, Devin (Tory) Gaard and Chelsea (Adam Anderson) Jahner, Ethan and Hannah Plemel, Dilyn and Keely Plemel, Mykle, Micaela and Madison Rud; great grandchildren Jackson, Berkeley, Sadie, Sophia and Ryley; sisters Marlene (Rob) Stiles, Grand Forks and Marsha (Dennis) Seaton, Barber, MT; brother-in-law and sisters-in-law Tom Plemel, Minot, ND, Joan Madler, Bismarck, ND and Dee Plemel, Minneapolis, MN: many nieces, nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dick; sister Yvonne Negrete, brothers-in-law Jim Plemel and Joe Madler, and sister-in law Anna Mae Plemel. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of the Red River Valley or cancer organization.