Dagmar Marigold (Carlson) Stranger

STRANGER
DAGMAR (DAE) CARLSON
1915 – 2018

Dae was born with her twin sister Marg to Swedish immigrant parents in a log house near Bittern Lake.  The twins were to be part of a family of eight children, all except for one of whom have lived to be over 80 years old.  Her memories of the family farm were filled with happiness, except perhaps for a weariness of milking cows.

This spirited woman took a different path than most others of her time, choosing to move to the big city, go to college, and start her lifelong career as a stenographer and bookkeeper.  She loved working and did not fully retire until she was 72.

She met her future husband, Knut Stranger, at a dance.  They married in 1953 and had a daughter, Elaine.  The little family lived in Edmonton and then Prince Rupert before Knut passed away suddenly in 1966.  Dae and her daughter then moved to Wetaskiwin, where Dae has lived ever since.

Dae was an environmentalist before it was even a thing, finding joy in mountains, trees, fields and flowers, and always recycling and reusing.  For decades, she grew beautiful gardens full of produce and flowers, and although she never considered herself a good cook or baker, she was celebrated for her homemade bread, fragrant cinnamon rolls, perfect roast pork, and Swedish rice pudding.  She believed that hot cups of coffee were an important part of any day and the first thing to try when problems arose.

Her frugal life style enabled her to support herself and her daughter, contribute generously to her daughter’s and then her grandchildren’s post secondary education, and ensure that no one needed to support her in her grand old age.  It also allowed her to take advantage of any travel opportunity that presented itself, including several trips to Norway and Sweden, and others to the Panama Canal, continental Europe, Great Britain, China, and throughout North America from the Yukon to Nova Scotia and California to New York.  She regretted that she never made it to Africa.

Family and friends were a big part of her life.  Dae is lovingly remembered by her sister, Violet Brandt; her brother, Vern Carlson (Janice); her daughter, Elaine Carlson (Terry Weninger); three grandchildren Linnea Kahlke (Mike Schmaus), Paul Kahlke (Dellanee), and Renate Kahlke (Jake Prince); and four great grandsons – Andre, Everett, Jacob, and Nolan; many, many nieces and nephews; and her friends at Grace Lutheran, Northridge Estates, and Sunrise Village.  She is predeceased by her great granddaughter Brianne, sisters Elsie Denton (Everett) and Margit Turnquist (Alfred), brothers Evert Carlson (Helen), Helmer Carlson (Marjorie) and Lennart, and parents Art and Anna Carlson.

The family wishes to express its gratitude to all those who helped Dae, especially when dementia started to rob her of her independence when she was well into her 90’s.  Special thanks to Dr. Stassen and the wonderful staff from PlanIt Consulting, Sunrise Village and Wetaskiwin Long Term Care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to Grace Lutheran Church to support a fund for development of their outdoor space, the Alzheimer Society of Canada, or the charity of your choice.

A Graveside Service will be held on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at Crooked Lake Cemetery, in Gwynne, AB.

A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, May 3, 2018 on 3:00 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Wetaskiwin, AB.
 

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