Barbara Carol Mager

Barbara Carol Mager passed away on January 22, 2019 at Trillium Woods Care Center in Plymouth at the age of 70. 
Visitation will be Friday, February 1, 2019 from 4-7 PM at Zaharia Family Funeral Home. A Memorial Service will be at 10 Am on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Truman. Additional visitation one hour prior. Inurnment will be at Ridgelawn Memorial Park. 

Zaharia Family Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. 

Barbara Carol (Gerde) Mager was born to her parents, Silas and Irene Gerde, on February 24, 1948 at the Granite Falls Hospital, Granite Falls, MN. She was baptized at Ebeneezer Lutheran Church. She grew up in rural Sacred Heart, MN and was a graduate of the Sacred Heart High School class of 1966. She graduated in 1971 from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics. During college, she played saxophone as a member of the University of MN band. On June 26, 1971 Barb was married to Eugene Mager at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sacred Heart, MN. Barb taught Home Economics at Wells, St. James, Fairmont and Truman Schools. Most recently, she enjoyed teaching preschool in Truman. She was proud to call Truman her home and wanted to make a difference in any way she could.  She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Truman, where she was the organist since 1971. Throughout her life, she was active in many different groups and activities, always willing to give of herself and her many talents. She was a member of the Al Zinter Chorale, Fairmont Prairie Star Quilt Guild, Truman Sorority, and served as a Girl Scout leader and FHA advisor.  She enjoyed making cakes, decorating for weddings, constructing costumes for children’s plays, teaching Sunday school, making banners and confirmation stoles for church,  organizing the Truman Days garage sales and could be found crafting and quilting in her spare time. Her family hosted foreign exchange students from both Germany (Nadine Westphaling) and Sweden (Sara Blomquist) in 1998 and 1999. She loved to keep in contact with them and their families.

Barb is survived by her daughter, Gena (Eric) Zehnder; grandsons, Nolan, Calen and Bennett Zehnder; sisters-in-law, Elaine Habeck, Mary (Andy) Regenscheid and Karen (Richard) Rocklewitz; many nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene Mager, her parents, parents-in-law, Benedict and Florence Mager and niece Christine Allickson. 

In lieu of flowers, Barb prefers memorials to be given to Trinity Lutheran Church, Truman Historical Society, Truman Early Childhood Program or Truman Ambulance Service.

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