Margaret L. McColley

Funeral services for Margaret L. McColley, age 101, of Alden, will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, January 25, 2016 at the Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home. The Rev. Nancy Overgaard will officiate. Interment will be in the Alden Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at Bayview.
Margaret died on Monday, January 18, 2016 at Thorne Crest.
Margaret Louise McColley was born on October 26, 1914 in Albert Lea, the daughter of Martin and Ellen (Jensen) Branvig. She grew up in Freeborn County and attended the Murtaugh Country School. On March 10, 1939 she was united in marriage to Lorin C. McColley Sr. in Albert Lea. After their marriage, they worked for various farmers including 20 years on a farm west of Alden. Margaret was a homemaker, a babysitter, and taught Sunday school for 25 years. Following Lorin’s retirement on disability, they enjoyed many years of camping and fishing, both by themselves and with many friends. They especially enjoyed holiday camping get-togethers with friends at Phil Park. They had a large garden and liked giving vegetables away to friends. Margaret especially enjoyed baking Christmas cookies and giving them away, even after turning 100 years old. Margaret has been a member of the Alden United Methodist Church since 1945. She was active in the U.M.W., the Alden Senior Citizens, the Alden Museum, and the Get-Together Club.
Survivors include her sons Lorin McColley Jr. and Lowell McColley; grandchildren Michael McColley, Kelly Jo McColley, Desarae McColley, and Andrea McColley; great-grandson Andreas McColley; and several nieces and nephews.
Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lorin, her daughter-in-law Patricia McColley, brother Marlin Branvig, sisters Helen Branvig and Olive Ebsen, as well as a sister in infancy, her mother-in-law and father-in-law, brother-in-law Alfred Ebsen, sisters-in-law Marian (Orville) Nelson and Genevieve Larson.