Marlene Carlson

Grandma's Heart

There once was a Grandma who had a very big heart. Well, she was more than a Grandma. She was a wife and a Mom and a Great-Grandma and a sister and an Auntie and a friend with a very big heart. The nice thing about having a very big heart is that there is a lot of room for love.

But even Grandmas' very big heart could not hold all the love that she had. But Grandma learned something very helpful. She would let that love that was in her heart travel. It would go down her arm, into her fingers to a waiting pen and end up on a piece of paper. But those words of love (and beautiful words they were) would not stay there. They would find their way to another heart, a heart that really needed them. The grateful heart that received Grandma's love, would share her words with others, and soon many, many hearts were touched with Grandma's love. Grandma found that sharing the love that was in her big heart didn't empty it, but only made room for more.

Now when Grandma's love found its way to words on paper, they were not ordinary words, they were very special words. They were words with a purpose. They were just the right words in the right order. They flowed across the page in perfect harmony. They were words that could make you cry, or laugh or see the picture that they painted. Mostly they were words that could reach deep inside you and move you in a way you didn't know you could be moved.

Grandma's words could comfort a grandchild whose pet had died. They could multiply our joy and celebrate the big events of our lives like marriage or the birth of a child. There was really no occasion that wasn't made better by the words that flowed from Grandma's big heart. They came in poems and stories and prayers. Many times they included God's words and His promises.They were a balm for healing and a source of great joy.

Grandma's big heart was not alone. It beat in unison with the big heart of Papa. Those two hearts, it seems, were inseparable. For many, many years they were constant companions. They always made sure that the other had an adequate supply of love. Then one day Papa's heart stopped. God had called him to his heavenly home. Now Grandma's heart was not unfamiliar with pain. It had been through it many times and had also helped others through it. But with God's help, the pain would subside and there would be healing. But this was different. Grandma's big heart did not know what to do. No comforting words came from it. It longed to be somewhere else. Somewhere it knew about. A place it had told many people about. A place where there is no pain or suffering or sorrow. In that place is the biggest heart that ever existed;

A heart so big that the universe can scarcely contain it. Grandma's heart is now at peace because it resides in that place. It is there with the heart of her beloved "Dick" and that ginormous heart of our Savior, Jesus.

Obituary

CARLSON, Marlene D. (Yoch) of White Bear Lake on January 20, 2025, passed suddenly and peacefully at home at the age of 91. Preceded in death by parents, Art and Stella; siblings, Art (Bud), Ernest, Lois, Leona and Everett. Daughter, Richelle Storhaug and her husband Tim. Reunited with her beloved husband of 68 years, Dick. Survived by children, Richard Jr. (Erin), Scott (Shelly), Jill (Don) Womeldorff, Jodi (Pat) Meister, and Kari (Todd) Anderson; grandchildren, Toni and Tyler Storhaug, David (Brianna) Carlson, Dan (Elise) Carlson, Bjorn (Kelsey) Carlson, Hannah (Yadel) Mulugeta Shea, Trent and Ayla Womeldorff, Brielle (fiancé Joey) Meister, Brett and Blake Meister, Jace (Kellyanne) Anderson, Danna and Caden Anderson; great grandchildren, Sophia, Emmrie, Liam, Adalyn, Lily, Markos, Odger and Skadi; and special friends, Art and Mary Franzmeier. Graduate of North St. Paul high school. Faithful child of God and incredibly gifted writer, Sunday school teacher extraordinaire, and ultimate example of a true Servant of Christ, who brought comfort and joy and hope to hundreds in their time of need through her amazing writing skills and compassionate heart. Cherished Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Great Grandmother and Friend. Christian Funeral Service 11:00AM Friday, January 24, 2025 at South Shore Trinity Lutheran Church, 2480 South Shore Blvd, White Bear Lake, MN. Visitation 9:00-11:00AM at Church, with service and luncheon to follow. Private Interment at Lakeview Cemetery. Memorials preferred to South Shore Trinity Lutheran Church.