Margella Besser

Memorial Services for Margella L. Besser of Waterville, formerly of New Richland, and Albert Lea, will be held at 2:00 Friday, September 7,  2018 at LeSueur River Lutheran Church in rural New Richland. The Reverend Brian Gegel will officiate. Interment will be in LeSueur River Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Margella died on Tuesday, September 4 at Traditions Assisted Living in Waterville, Minnesota. She was 86. She was born on June 15, 1932, in Waseca County, the daughter of Lewis and Alice (Halvorson) Bakken. She grew up on the farm, helped with farm chores and was the only girl in the family who learned to drive the tractor. She married Ralph E. Besser on October 6, 1950 at the Little Brown Church in Myrtle, MN. The couple lived in the New Richland area and she worked for a short time at EF Johnson and Land-O-Lakes. Margella loved being a homemaker and a mom and was awesome at crocheting, baking and gardening. In later years Margella and Ralph spent many enjoyable hours having coffee with friends. Margella is survived by: daughter Susan (Michael) Pfeffer of New Richland; son Allen (Halane) Besser of Alden; grandchildren: Jim Pfeffer, Jill (Jerry) Johnson, Jamie (Matt) Holm , Jared Besser and Jeremy (Rachel) Besser; great grandchildren: Michael and Benjamin Pfeffer, Brandon (Liz) Johnson, Dakota and Cami Johnson, Jackson Besser, KyAnna and Kinley Besser; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Nathalie Besser, Sylvia and William Berg, Lorna and Ray Motley, Lorraine and Gary Berg, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Ralph Besser, son, Todd Besser, daughter Shirley Burton, granddaughter Jessica Burton; brothers and sisters: Glen Bakken, Lowell Bakken Harold Bakken, Doris Heckes, Rosie Chadderdon and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Robert and Rosella Besser, Richard and Joan Besser and Sylvester Besser.