Frances M. Marks

A Funeral Mass for Frances “Fran” Marks of Morris will be held on Friday, July 25, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris with Fr. Todd Schneider & Fr. Alan Wielinski celebrating the Mass. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior at the church on Friday. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Morris.

Frances “Fran” Marion Torrey was born on October 1, 1927 in Drayton, North Dakota, the daughter of James and Mary Edna (Bellamy) Torrey. She grew up on a wheat and sheep farm in the Red River Valley north of Grand Forks.

Fran graduated from St. Benedicts College with a teaching degree and later received her Master’s Degree. She began her career teaching for several years in Minnesota and South Dakota. Eventually she accepted a teaching position in Graceville where she taught high school business and English for 26 years.

While teaching in Milroy, a fellow teacher, Jake Marks, caught her eye and on August 23, 1952, the couple married in Tyler, Minnesota. They were blessed with three children, Janae, Paul and Kathy.

Fran has been active in all of the communities in which she lived. Since being in Morris, she has been a faithful member of Assumption Catholic Church, where she volunteered preparing the bulletin and any other tasks that needed to be done. Being a high energy and social person, volunteering has allowed her to connect with many people and create many friendships.

She enjoyed reading, playing bridge, socializing and of course, anything sweet. She especially enjoyed spending time together with her family.

Fran died Sunday, July 20, 2025, at Divine Providence in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. She was 97 years old.

Survivors include her three children, Janae (Paul) Theisen of Sleepy Eye, Paul (Paula) Marks of Bloomington and Kathy (Byron) Marks White of Olympia, WA; grandchildren, Michelle (Derek) Villars, Phillip “Doc” (Jolene) Theisen and McKayla Theisen and great-grandchildren, Jacob Theisen, Grant Villars, Thomas Theisen and Brianna Villars. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Mary Edna; husband, Jake; siblings, Mary Edna Torrey, Howard Torrey, Evelyn Baier and Leroy Torrey; grand son-in-law, Chuck Fiedler and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Fr. William Marks, Donald (Mary) Marks, Mary (Leif) Roland, Margaret (Clarence) Frost, Ray (Evelyn) Marks, John Marks and Aloysius Marks.

In lieu of flowers, memorial are preferred and will be directed to Assumption Catholic Church, Newman Center and Divine Providence.