Marjorie Patwell

Marjorie Patwell passed away August 28, 2020, at Chosen Valley Care Center in Chatfield, Minn., at the age of 94. She was born January 31, 1926, on her great-uncle Cab Hoag’s homestead in Haakon County, S. Dak., to Wesley Elliott and Patricia Kimball.

As an infant Marjorie was struggling in the South Dakota prairie.  During a visit by her grandmother Amy Elliott, it was decided that Marjorie would return to Minnesota to live with her aunt, Olive Elliot and uncle, William Elliott on the family farm located on the Minnesota and Iowa State Line road south of Harmony.  Marjorie attended country school until the sixth grade. She then attended and graduated from Harmony High School in 1944.

Marjorie was married and had four children: Diane, Darrell, Neil and Brent Jacobson. In 1965 she divorced and moved to Rochester, Minn., where she worked as a licensed beautician, then later at IBM in Rochester.  She continued to work at IBM until she married Burt Patwell in the summer of 1972.  They lived in St. Paul, Minn., Mission Viejo, Calif., Long Grove, Ill., Clintonville, Wis., and Aurora, Ill.

Marjorie helped raise Burt’s children Jane, John, Jeff, and Joanne. They were a large part of Marjorie’s life.

Marjorie and Burt retired in 1988 and spent their winters in Surprise, Ariz., and their summers in Harmony, Minn., until 2003. 

Marjorie was a lifelong member of the State Line Methodist Church in Harmony, Minn.

Marjorie enjoyed talking with family and friends. She had a subtle sense of humor that put people at ease.  She could always find the positives in any situation.  She helped guide many through turbulent times, gently and without judgment.  Feeding and watching the birds outside her kitchen window was a favorite pastime.  A lifelong animal lover, she enjoyed watching all the animals that lived on the farm; she had a special connection with cats. 

Marjorie will be greatly missed by many, including her sisters Audrey Quast of Zumbrota, Minn., Lorilee Billups of Santa Cruz, Calif., Wahnita (Mark) Felien of Minneapolis, Minn., and brother Virgil (Shari) Elliott of Rochester, Minn.

She is preceded in death by husband Burt Patwell, children Neil Jacobson, Diane Vagts, Jane (Patwell) Petrie, a sister, Blanche Snyder; brothers Bud Elliott, Orville Elliott, and Lowell Elliott. 

She is survived by children Darrell Jacobson of Minneapolis, Minn., Brent (Christie) Jacobson of Eau Claire, Wis., John (Luke) Patwell of Paris, France, Joanne (Clarence) Hawkins, Coon Rapids, Minn., Jeff (Terri) Patwell of Madison, Wis., a son-in-law, Jim Vagts of Harmony, Minn., 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. 

We would like to extend a special thank you to all the staff at Chosen Valley Care Center for their loving care and kindness they always showed Marjorie.  For almost four years CVCC staff made a home for her.   

A memorial gathering in honor of Marjorie will be held next summer (July 2021) in rural Harmony (State Line Road area).