Margaret Backstrom

Margaret Backstrom, 100, passed away September 20, 2023, at L.B. Broen Homes in Fergus Falls, MN.

Margaret (Rangen) Backstrom was born on December 14, 1922, to Rasmus and Alma (Ploium) Rangen at their Maddock, North Dakota farm. She was one of nine siblings – six girls and three boys. She completed her schooling in the Maddock public school system, and later spent one term at the Lutheran Brethren Bible School in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

She married Charles Wesley Backstrom, also of Maddock, on December 14, 1944. For the next 26 years they together farmed the land originally homesteaded by Charles’ parents. Nine children were born to them during this time between the years of 1946 and 1965.

In the summer of 1970, Margaret and Charles sold the farm and moved to Bismarck, where Charles expanded his previously part-time piano tuning business into a full-time career and Margaret worked in local business and school positions. Beginning in 1972 they were instrumental in the founding of Grace Lutheran Brethren Church in Bismarck. The congregation initially met in the Backstrom home; then Charles and Margaret both remained very active as the church grew and moved into its permanent facility. Charles was a long time elder of the church and both were heavily involved musically, with Charles serving as church pianist and Margaret as organist.

In 1986, Margaret and Charles retired and moved to Silver Bay, Minnesota, on the north shore of Lake Superior. There they enjoyed the proximity of two of Margaret’s sisters and also were quite involved in the services of the Lutheran Brethren Church in Superior, again serving as pianist and organist.

In 1992, they relocated to Fergus Falls where some of their children now reside. In 2001 they moved into retirement facilities owned by Lutheran Brethren Homes, Inc. They spent several years in the independent living area together, then moved one at a time into the nursing home, Charles first and then Margaret some years later. Charles died in 2010 at 88 and Margaret followed later in 2023 at 100 years of age.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, seven of her siblings, her husband Charles, and one son, David. She is survived by one sister, Mary Ann of Glendale, AZ; three daughters: Rachel (Robert) Streifel of Woodbury, MN, Eunice (David) Christenson of Fergus Falls, MN, and Lois (Ed) Cheeseboro of Woodbury, MN; five sons: John (Cheryl) of Papillion, NE, Joel (Jane) of Kingman, AZ, Stephen of Bismarck, ND, Timothy of Fort Worth, TX, and Clement of Burnsville, MN; 27 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral to be held Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 11 AM at Bethel Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, MN, with a visitation beginning an hour prior.

Burial will be held the following day, October 1, 2023, at 1 PM at Zion Cemetery in Maddock, ND.