Margaret Rydell

Margaret Rydell, 92, died Sunday, December 19, 2010 at the home of her son,Wesley Rydell, in Grand Forks, North Dakota following a battle with cancer. Margaret Oelrich was born on July 30, 1918 in Rice, Minnesota, and graduated from Sauk Rapids High School. She married Leonard Rydell on January 16, 1940 and they made their home in Montgomery, Minnesota where their three children were born. In 1954, the family moved to Grand Forks where Margaret and Leonard purchased the Chevrolet dealership. After many successful years, they retired to a hobby farm near Erskine, Minnnesota where they raised show horses and followed their passion for enjoying and preserving wildlife. Margaret loved her involvement in re-establishing the Trumpeter swan, bringing them back from near extinction, on her and Leonard's own "Golden Pond". Margaret and Leonard's 2,120 acre Erskine property and their wildlife conservation efforts are being preserved as the Rydell Refuge by the US National Fish and Wildlife. Margaret and Leonard moved to Long Lake near Park Rapids in 1993 and wintered in Wickenburg, Arizona. She and Leonard were constant companions wherever they lived or traveled. She was his GPS. Margaret was an avid gardener, cross country skier, bird watcher, and lover of the outdoors. She was an expert at interior design and provided a comfortable and loving home for her family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard, grandson, Eric Mondry, brothers, Richard and Victor Oelrich and sisters, Henrietta Munn and Marie Mikiska. Margaret is survived by her children; Wesley Rydell (Vivian), Grand Forks, Connie Mondry (Joel), Grand Forks, and James Rydell (Ardy), Waterloo, Iowa; grandchildren, Bob Rydell (Cheri), Brian Rydell (Selmara), David Rydell, Jeanne (Mondry) Freier (Nathan), Nicole (Mondry) Nettleton (William), Lisa (Rydell) Moga, Krissy (Rydell) Halbur (Matt), and 17 great-grandchildren. Memorial Services: 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, December, 22, 2010 in Sharon Lutheran Church, 1720 S. 20th St., Grand Forks. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. Prayer Service Tuesday, December 21, 2010 and one hour prior to the service, all in the church. Interment: will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Grand Forks. In Lieu of flowers: memorials are preferred to the Salvation Army, 1600 University Ave., Grand Forks, North Dakota, 58203.