Mary Delores Broden

Mary D. Broden, 82 of Devils Lake, died on Sunday morning, July 1, 2007 at Heartland Care Center, Devils Lake. Mass of Christian Burial for Mary will be held on Thursday, July 5, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake. Fr. Robert Pecotte will celebrate the Mass and burial will be in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. with a Rosary and Scripture Service at 4:00 p.m. The Rosary will be led by the Catholic Daughters. Visitation on Thursday will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral Mass. Serving as Casket Bearers for Mary will be her grandsons, Scott Parker, Ryan Parker, Alex Jorgensen, Andrew Frelich and Jesse Jensen and her nephew, Curtis Broden. Music will be provided by Patty Cote Reading the Scriptures will be Mary’s nieces, Joni Armstrong and Debbie Bolin Gift Bearers will be Bernice Broden and Annette Richmond Mary Axtman was born on April 15, 1925 in Devils Lake, ND. Her parents, Michael and Josephine (Burckhard) Axtman, came to North Dakota from Germany in 1910 and ran the West Side Meat Market. Mary and her twin brother, John were the youngest of nine children. She graduated from Central High School in Devils Lake in 1943. She married Nick Broden on June 24, 1947. Together, they raised seven children. . In 2007, Nick and Mary celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Their love over the years has been a beautiful example for their children and grandchildren. Mary worked as a clerk at S&L and as a bookkeeper and salesperson at Firestone. In 1952, Mary started keeping the books for the Lake Region Credit Union (which her father-in--law had started). She later became manager and ran the License Bureau out of the same office. After many years, Mary resigned as manager of the Credit Union after overseeing its growth to over $1 million in assets. She was the Treasurer of the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary for years. She was an active member of St. Joseph Church all her life and of the Catholic Daughters. Mary enjoyed embroidery, counted cross-stitch, flower gardening, and making chokecherry jelly for her children. Mary will always be remembered for her sweet smile, her generous nature, her sense of humor, and her outgoing personality. Mary had a way of making each person feel valued. She genuinely cared about others and wanted to share in their life’s experiences. Mary had faith in Jesus and kept her children and grandchildren in her prayers. She will be deeply missed by friends and family alike. I Thessalonians 4:13 says that we should not grieve as those without hope. Because Mary’s hope was in Jesus, we know she is with Him in heaven. Mary is survived by her husband, Nicholas Children: Kathleen Ann Parker and her husband, Bill of Plymouth, Minnesota Sharon Elizabeth Jorgensen and her husband, Terry of Pierre, South Dakota Marion Kay Jensen and her husband, Jon of Devils Lake Ellen Marie Streifel and her husband, David of Rochester, Minnesota David Andrew Broden and his wife, Holly of Andover, Minnesota Mark Leonard Broden and his wife Renae of Grand Forks Scott Eugene Broden and his wife, Lisa of Prior Lake, Minnesota Eighteen Grandchildren She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Frances Ell and Christine Hrbaty; brothers, Paul, Pius, Andrew, Michael, Louis and John Axtman; son-in-law, Daniel Frelich.