Marian F. Carlson

Marian Finseth Carlson, of Davis, Calif., passed away Nov. 1, 2012. Marian was born Jan. 18, 1923 in Kenyon, Minn., to farmers Selma Distad and K. Olaus Finseth, where she developed her life-long delight in the world and her ability to gracefully assume any role asked of her. After an education begun in a one-room school, she graduated Salutatorian from Byron High School. She enrolled in St. Olaf College, a private college established in part by her paternal grandfather. She left early to marry William D. "Bill" Carlson, before his entry into the Army in World War II. After the war, during which she was administrative secretary for the Rochester, Minn. school district, Marian and Bill moved to Minneapolis, where Bill earned his Ph.D. in education and where their four children were born. In 1952, the family moved to Reno, where Bill was Dean of Students at UNR. In 1957, they moved to Las Vegas, where Marian made her home until 2007. While in Las Vegas, she assisted Bill, appointed dean, in fostering the growth of UN Southern Regional Division, subsequently NSU and now UNLV, both on the campus and in the community. She was a long-time and valued member of PEO Chapter G, Vasa, Mesquite Club, Sons of Norway, and Calvary Lutheran Church. In 2007, Marian moved to Davis, where she passed away. Marian will forever be remembered for her thoughtfulness, her clarity of mind, her strong moral compass and enduring faith. Many are those who will miss her counsel. She was preceded in death by her husband, William D.; son, John W.; son-in-law, Steven Plemons; two sisters; three brothers; and her mother and father. She is survived by daughters, Audrey (Doug) Nelson, Marcia Carlson-Plemons, both of Davis, and Meridee (Glenn) Faber, of Warrenton Ore.; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; two sisters, Ona Lester of Conyers Ga., and Edythe Rehm of Madison Wis.; numerous loving nieces and nephews; and her "son," Stefan Clevhammar and family, of Stockholm, Sweden. Services will be at 11 a.m., Nov. 16, at Reformation Lutheran Church, 580 E. St. Louis. Interment to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Davis, Calif., Lutheran World Relief Fund, or a charity of your choice .

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