Evangeline Quam

Evangeline Marie Quam, 98, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at Eventide Lutheran Home in Moorhead, Minnesota. She was born April 24, 1913, in Rugby, North Dakota, the daughter of Marcus A. and Hannie (Hagen) Quam. The family lived in Bottineau, ND, and Grafton, ND, before moving to Fergus Falls in 1918. Her father was the assistant manager of the J.C. Penney store. Evangeline attended Lincoln Elementary School. The family moved to Detroit Lakes in 1925 where her father opened the J.C. Penney store there. She was confirmed at First Lutheran Church in 1927, and graduated from Detroit Lakes High School in 1930. She graduated with honors from Concordia College in 1934. Evangeline taught at the Good Samaritan School for Crippled Children in Fargo for two years. For the next four years she stayed home with her father, and then attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota. She taught in the Ulen High School for two years, and then came to Fergus Falls where she taught in the English department of Washington Junior High. She left Fergus Falls in 1951 to teach at Zulu Lutheran High School in Eshowe, Natal, South Africa for three years under the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Enroute home she and her friend, Margaret Nordlie, traveled for five months. They sailed up the east coast of Africa, visiting Egypt, the Middle East, and much of Europe. In 1955 she returned to Fergus Falls where she taught in the English Department of the Senior High for the next twenty years. In 1975 she retired and left for Papua New Guinea where she completed the term in a high school and then taught English at Balob Teachers College for four years. This was under the American Lutheran Church. Evangeline loved to travel. She visited most of the states in the USA and most of the provinces of Canada. She traveled around the world at least twice. On one of these trips they visited many of the mission fields of the American Lutheran Church. Many of the other trips were five and six weeks long – especially those with Gopher Travelers. She loved her church and served on many committees and sang in the choir. She served as president of the Northern Minnesota District of the Lutheran Daughters of the Reformation for three terms. She was active in Delta Kappa Gamma, was local president twice and served as state vice president. She also served on the mission committee of the Northern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Preceding her in death were her parents, her brother, H. Roland Quam, and a nephew, Jan Mark. She is survived by a niece and nephew, four great nieces and nephews, seven great-great nieces and nephews, and several cousins. Visitation: One hour prior to the service at the church Service: 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at First Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls Clergy: Reverend Saul Stensvaag Interment: Oak Grove Cemetery in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls is in charge of the arrangements.