Margaret E. Sather

Margaret Edair (Skaar) Sather, 87, of Starkweather, ND, passed away on Friday, December 6, 2024, at Valley Senior Living on 42nd in Grand Forks, ND, surrounded by her loving family after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. 

On June 20, 1937, Margaret was born in Devils Lake, ND, to Frithjof and Hazel (Severeid) Skaar. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. She grew up on the Skaar family farm in rural Hampden. After graduating from Hampden school in 1955, she attended Jamestown College and received her Teachers Certificate in 1957. She went on to teach in Starkweather; Munich; Salt Lake City, UT; and Anaheim, CA.

On June 20, 1957, Margaret was united in marriage to Gordon Sather. The couple made their home on the Sather family farm in rural Starkweather where Gordon farmed. They built a new house on the farm and raised their four children there. 

Margaret was a fantastic saleswoman and, when her kids were young, she began selling Princess House, which entailed toting around huge suitcases of crystal glassware that she sold at house parties. She then went on to work in a fabric store for many years in Devils Lake. In the early 1980’s, Margaret put her sales and sewing skills to good use when she and Gordon opened the Spring Crest Drapery store in a downtown mini mall in Devils Lake. For many years they traveled all over the state of North Dakota sewing and installing all kinds of window treatments. She and Gordon had to switch gears when there was a fire in the mini mall. They ended up moving the store to the lower level of their home in Starkweather and ran the business from there until they sold the farmstead in the summer of 2017 and moved to an apartment in Grand Forks.

Margaret was a member of the Trinity-Bergen Lutheran Church in Starkweather. She excelled at making turkey gravy and spent many years making it for the church’s annual fall supper. One of her many accomplishments was becoming the first woman to serve on the school board in Starkweather. Gordon and Margaret loved sports and religiously followed the sporting events and other activities in which their kids and grandkids were involved. Even after their kids graduated, they continued following Starkweather’s teams and attended as many basketball games as they could. Margaret loved her grandkids more than anything and carried “brag pictures” of them with her everywhere she went.

When she wasn’t working, Margaret loved reading, doing the word jumbles in the newspaper, going to the casino, visiting her kids and grandkids, watching the Minnesota Twins, playing dominos and board games, and visiting with everyone she met. She had a great sense of humor and was a fantastic joke teller.

Margaret is survived by her husband of 67 years, Gordon.

Children: Mark (Laurie) Sather of Fargo, ND; Mary Ann Devig of Grand Forks, ND; Janelle (Randy) McMillin of Grygla, MN; and Ruth (Scott) Camp of Iron Mountain, MI.

Ten grandchildren: Vienna Devig, Megan (Garret) Hillius, Ashley (Connor) Holland, Jared (Ashley) Schaefer, Brenna (Isaac) Olson, Hailea (Trevor) Page, Hunter (Karlee) McMillin, Hudson McMillin, Ryan (Alicia) Camp, and Amanda Camp; Eight great-grandchildren (with two on the way); and many nieces and nephews. 

Margaret is preceded in death by her parents; sister Norma Skaar; brother Howard Skaar; and son-in-law Pat Devig.

Margaret will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. May her memory be blessed.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December 12, 2024 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota, with Pastor Jared Carson officiating. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the service. 

A private family burial will be held in the spring at the Trinity-Bergen Lutheran Cemetery in Starkweather.