Longtime teacher Carlene Otterson, 79, of Marshall died Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, at Avera McKennan Hospital and University Medical Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., from a brain hemorrhage suffered earlier in the week.

Funeral services are scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Marshall with burial at a later date. Visitation will be held 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, at Hamilton Funeral Home in Marshall with occasional background music from the grandchildren.

Carlene Louise Grewe was born March 17, 1937, to Edwin and Irene (Luehring) Grewe at their farm in Moltke Township, Sibley County, Minnesota, joining a close-knit clan of people north of Gibbon who celebrated their German heritage every day. She was baptized and later confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of Moltke Township. She completed her education through the eighth grade at St. Peter’s Lutheran School, then joined the Gibbon High School class of 1955. She was a leader in organizing class reunions.

Carlene earned her bachelor’s degree in business education from then-Mankato State College in 1958. She started her career at Danube High School as a student teacher and took her first full-time position at Hutchinson.

She married Donald E. Otterson on July 8, 1961, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. They met in a summer school class — Art, Metal and Jewelry — at Mankato State in 1958. The couple lived in Mankato while Don finished his degree in industrial arts. They moved to Marshall for his student teaching, then to Redwood Falls for three years. They returned to Marshall in August 1968. Carlene taught at high schools in Jeffers, Minneota, Morton and Russell before accepting a permanent position in business education at Marshall in 1971. She was the Marshall-area civil service examiner for about 30 years.

Carlene completed a master of education degree through St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in 1994. She retired in 1999 as a language arts teacher at Marshall Middle School. Her grandson Matt was in the same building for her final two years of teaching. She provided once-a-week day care for grandson Paul when he was a newborn and toddler and enjoyed having the grandchildren spending evenings or weekends.

The Ottersons have been members of St. Stephen Lutheran Church for 48 years, and Carlene sang in the choir for decades.

She is survived by her husband of 55-plus years, Don, of Marshall; son, Bob (Lisa) of Brookings, S.D.; daughter, Jill (Karl) Maurer of Chippewa Falls, Wis.; grandsons Matthew (Jess), Paul and Michael; granddaughters Maret, Ingrid and Katja; a great-grandson, Ben; two sisters, Diane (Dick) Isakson and Judy (Gary) Schafer, both of Gibbon; two nephews; four nieces; aunt Irene Luehring of Fairfax, Minn., and five first cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Irene, in August 1988, aunts, uncles and two first cousins.

Arrangements by the Hamilton Funeral Home in Marshall, Minnesota. 507-532-2933

Guest book and tribute wall available online at www.hamiltonfh.com.

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