Maria (Marie) Josefine Holmoe Chadwick passed away on Friday January 22, 2010 of natural causes at Sanford Medical Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She was born on December 30, 1911, and spent her entire 98 years as a resident of Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Marie was one of eight children born to Bernt and Dorothea Sagmoe, who lived on the family farm near Renner, South Dakota. The family attended West Nidaros Lutheran Church. She was the granddaughter of Norwegian immigrants who originally homesteaded in Minnehaha County. Her family spoke only Norwegian at home and she had to learn English when she later attended country school. She later attended Washington High School in Sioux Falls. Marie was married to Oscar Holmoe, of Baltic, South Dakota, with whom she had eight children. She later married John Chadwick, formerly of Beresford, South Dakota. Both are now deceased.

After marrying Oscar, Marie lived in Dell Rapids and Baltic and was a homemaker until the family moved to Sioux Falls in 1947. At the time, Sioux Falls had approximately 44,000 residents. Marie worked for 21 years as a waitress/server in Sioux Falls and was fondly known as “Mama Marie”. She finished her working career at the Goodwill store at the age of 72. In her retirement she enjoyed playing Bingo three evenings per week. She completed a crossword puzzle almost every day. Marie was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, a life member of the VFW Post 628 Auxiliary, a member of the El Riad Shrine Auxiliary, the National Home for Children in Eaton Rapids, MI, and a member of M.O.C.A.

Marie’s longevity afforded her the opportunity to witness many historic events. She recalled viewing Mt. Rushmore while it was first being sculpted. She remembered touching the plane of Charles Lindbergh in the late 1920’s shortly after his historic flight when he landed near Renner on a tour of the area. She fondly recalled coming to Sioux Falls as a young girl and riding the street car, going to the wading pool at McKennan Park, and seeing vast farm fields beyond the edge of 18th Street and Grange Avenue when she visited her aunt and uncle who lived nearby. She also recalled having her tonsils removed at age ten at the Moe Hospital, now known as the Sanford Medical Center.

Grateful for having shared her life are her children, Betty Pfeifle, Lois (Dean) Sears-Ahrendt, Mavis “Mitzi” (Doug) Sandberg, Mike Holmoe, and Dave (Nadine) Holmoe, all of Sioux Falls, LuAnn Long and Joyce (Robert) Kimball, of Arizona, 23 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren and 13 great great-grandchildren, a sister Ethel Dybvig, Dell Rapids, SD, and a host of other relatives and friends.

In addition to her husbands she was also preceded in death by an infant son Orville, her brothers and sisters.

Public visitation begins at 1:00 PM Wednesday, January 27th at the Miller Funeral Home, 13th & Main Avenue, with the family greeting friends from 5-7:00 PM and a V.F.W. Auxiliary Prayer Service at 5:30 PM. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 AM Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church, with burial at Hills of Rest Memorial Park. Memorials may be directed to Grace Lutheran Church or the V.F.W. Post 628 Auxiliary.