Fern Masseth

Fern Marlys Masseth was born on March 11, 1930 at Stirum, Sargent County, North Dakota on the farmstead of her parents, Charles Matthew and Sarah Louise (Nelson) Kappes. While living on the family farm, she enjoyed riding horses and spent many afternoons in the fields reading. As a teenager she moved to Oakes, North Dakota where she completed her education at Oakes High School in 1947. She met Clarence Joseph Masseth in Oakes in 1947. They were married on June 21, 1948. They moved to Bismarck and raised a family of six children. Fern was employed by St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck for over 40 years. Though work kept her quite busy, she always made time to appreciate the beauty of life. She traveled to nearly every corner of the country with her family. She also enjoyed a lifelong love of flowers, nature, reading, and the company of her family. She was often a woman of few words, but everything she said was full of emotion and love. Fern passed peacefully into eternal life in the late evening of Tuesday, August 3, 2010. Fern is survived by her six children, Sherry Doll (Jacob) of Center, North Dakota, Marla Huhn (Paul) of Fargo, North Dakota, David Masseth of Mandan, North Dakota, Joseph Masseth (Cynthia) of Lake in the Hills, Illinois, Gay Lynne Goldade (Jerome) of Lincoln, North Dakota, Krista Magilke of Mandan, North Dakota, 19 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, step-grandchildren, and step-great grandchildren, sisters-in-law, Delores Jaskoviak of Jamestown, North Dakota, Ursula Masseth of Yuma, Arizona, and brother-in-law William Huebner of Oakes, North Dakota. Fern was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Joseph Masseth, her parents, Charles Matthew and Sarah Louise (Nelson) Kappes, sisters Nila, Berty, brother Emmet, sisters-in-law Alvina Reis. Rose Hegwood, and brothers-in-law Boyd Jaskoviak, and Gilbert Masseth. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 7, 2010 at Cornerstone Baptist Church at 1130 11th Street South, with luncheon to follow. Inurnment will be held at the Veterans Cemetery in Mandan at a later date.