Margaret 'Marge' Ann Quirk, 72
Margaret “Marge” Ann Quirk, age 72 of New Hampton, died peacefully and surrounded by her family on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, at the New Hampton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, at Holy Family Parish, New Hampton with the Rev. Brian Dellaert celebrating the Mass.
Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery, New Hampton.
Friends may greet the family from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, at the Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home and Crematory, where there will be a 2:45 p.m. Rosary and a 7 p.m. Parish Scripture Service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass at the church on Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Marge was born on Oct. 6, 1947, to Edward and Margaret (Pledger) Humpal in Sumner, and grew up on a farm in rural Sumner.
She attended school in Sumner, where she was an excellent student and played 6-on-6 basketball. She graduated from Sumner High School in 1965.
After receiving her diploma, Marge landed a job at St. Joseph’s Hospital in New Hampton, where one day she stopped for gas at Harry Gilbert’s old gas station on Linn Avenue. A young attendant, Duane Quirk, caught her eye, and she ended up stopping at Gilbert’s numerous times to put a “little gas” in her vehicle so that she could see Duane.That summer they began dating, and a year later, on Aug. 27, 1966, the couple exchanged wedding vows at Immaculate Conception Parish in Sumner. The Quirks’ family grew rapidly as they welcomed Brad, Brian and twins Lori and Lisa to the family. To say it was a busy household would be an understatement. When the twins were born, Marge and Duane had four kids and the oldest was a mere 2 years old.
Her children remember their mother as the definition of love — for her family, her faith and for her community.Marge and Duane worked side by side after the couple purchased New Hampton Electric from Lowell Selinger. Marge handled the bookwork for the business, but she always made time for her family, church and New Hampton.
Marge was selfless when it came to her community — often quietly working behind the scenes on various city and church events.
As a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, she organized the annual Memorial Day Parade, making sure it had enough convertibles, and Marge and Duane actively supported the Legion activities and events.
Marge was an avid gardener, one who loved both her garden-fresh vegetables and especially her flowers beds, which made the Quirk yard one with vibrant colors. And for those who weren’t as up on flowers as she was, she put out little metal signs that told them what kind of flowers they were.
She was a member of the New Hampton Garden Club, and her work could be seen throughout the area. She made churches, parks and downtown New Hampton more beautiful with her flowers and plants.
Her mother was an English “war bride,” and a few months after the Quirks were married, her parents moved to Wisconsin. Marge loved to go to the “Badger State” for visits, where she and her mother would spend hours talking and working in the garden.
Marge’s love for gardening led to some fun stories that will remain part of the Quirk lore for years to go. There was this one time when she and Lori went to pick up plants for their gardens, and Marge was pretty sure her oldest daughter had mistakenly taken some of her flower plants. No, Lori insisted, she only took the onion plants, but later that summer, she told her mom that “I have the prettiest onions this year.”
Marge was a woman of deep faith. She was a member of Holy Family Parish, and she taught her children that “as long as you give to God, he will provide for you” and that they should use their God-given talents to make this a better world. She served the church in a variety of ways, from lay ministry to serving on boards to visiting parishioners in nursing homes.
She was passionate about making New Hampton a better place, and she donated to virtually every fundraising drive both near and far.
In 2010, Marge was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease, but she fought the good fight right up until the end.
She will be missed by her husband, children, grandchildren, friends, church and New Hampton — a city she helped make more beautiful and one she supported with grace and dignity.
Survivors include her husband of 53 years, Duane; two sons, Brad (Monica) Quirk and Brian (Anita) Quirk, both of New Hampton; twin daughters, Lori Quirk and Lisa (Andy) Schwickerath, both of New Hampton; 10 grandchildren, Jessie Schwickerath, Christian Schwickerath, Brock Quirk, Dwight Schwickerath, Trinity Schwickerath, Wyatt Schwickerath, Claire Quirk, Celena Quirk, Brittany Quirk and Marissa Quirk; one great-granddaughter, Harper; four brothers, Edward (Joyce) Humpal of Wausau, Wisconsin, John (Gayle) Humpal of Merrill, Wisconsin, Chuck (Diane) Humpal of Cadott, Wisconsin, and Jim Humpal of Lehigh Acres, Florida; and four sisters, Kathy Weix of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Jenny Humpal of Dallas, Texas, Becky (John) Rimsky of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, and Linda (Doug) Gindt of Boyd, Wisconsin.
Marge was preceded in death by her parents.
