Marjorie Ruth Hemmesch, 77, 200 10th St. N.W. - Minot and former parish secretary at Little Flower Catholic Church - Minot died on Thursday, October 19, 2006, in a Minot nursing home.

Marge was born on February 1, 1929, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Phillip and Emily (Popp) Weiss. She was raised and educated in Winnipeg and graduated from St. John's High School in 1947. She attended a Winnipeg business college for one year prior to moving to Grand Forks ND in 1949 where she was employed at the North Dakota State Mill and Elevator until 1954.

Marge married Ralph Hemmesch on November 20, 1954 in Fargo. They made their home in Grand Forks until they moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon in 1957 and then to Minot in 1958 and to Superior, Wisconsin before returning to Minot in 1966. She was very supportive of her husband and his career as superintendent with the Great Northern Railway. An avid interest in politics led her to one of her employment highlights which was a job assisting Congressman Thomas Kleppe for two years. Ralph died on May 29, 1987. Following his death she began employment as parish secretary for Little Flower Catholic Church in 1988 and was also employed at the International Inn. She continued as parish secretary until her retirement in 1996.

Marge was an active member of Little Flower Catholic Church where she served on the church council and as past president of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers as well as communion distributor and lector for Mass. She was past president of the ND Republican Women, Hospital Auxiliaries of North Dakota and held a variety of leadership positions at St. Joseph's Hospital Auxiliary.

She especially enjoyed playing golf, reading and crafts, and her "Little Flower first grade pen pals" .

Survivors include her sister Frances (Jack) Cassady of Novi, MI; niece: Patricia Wagner of Winnipeg, MB, and nephews: Robert Kelln of Winnipeg, MB, Kenneth Cassady of Farmington Hills, MI, Dennis Cassady of Phoenix, AZ and Kevin Cassady of Westland, MI as well as a host of faithful friends.

Marge was preceded in death by her parents, husband and sister Gladys Kelln.

Mass of Christian Burial: Monday, October 23, 2006, at 11:00 a.m. in Little Flower Catholic Church - Minot.
Vigil Prayer Service: Sunday at 6:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home - Minot.
Interment will be in Rosehill Memorial Park - Minot.
Visitation: Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home - Minot.
Memorials are preferred to Little Flower School Foundation or the donors choice.