Marjorie J. Eggen

Services and Interment for Marjorie J. Eggen (nee Knips) will be held privately.

Marjorie passed away on Tuesday, November 16, 2021.

Marjorie was born on June 17, 1931 to George and Margaret Knips, and grew up in the small town of Adrian, MN.  Her high school graduation class had a total of 5 students, and her most surprising stories were that she was a drummer in the high school marching band, and that she actually participated in Senior Ditch Day!  After high school, she attended Gustavus Adolphus College, where she met her future husband Dean Eggen.  Marjorie graduated in 1953 and moved to Oregon for a job as a teacher.  She moved back to Minnesota and married Dean in 1955 when he returned from service in the Korean war, and they re-located to Chicago area around 1959.  They raised 3 children in Palatine IL, where they met many life-long friends in the Plum Grove Manor neighborhood and through the Christ Lutheran Church.

Growing up, Marjorie’s children called her “Marge the Sarge” because of her commanding nature. She was a minimalist that thrived on having things neat and orderly. One of her favorite mantras was, “A cluttered closet is a cluttered mind”.  After her children grew up and moved to their own houses, she frequently volunteered to come over and help clean out a closet, or garage, or refrigerator.  Marjorie was also a health fanatic before it was a popular thing.  Healthful eating was important, and she avoided “the evil whites” – salt, sugar, and flour.  Our school lunches consisted of natural peanut butter on wheat bread, and an apple – no baloney on white bread, Fritos, and ding-dongs like everyone else’s lunches.

After raising her children, Marjorie enjoyed yoga, biking, hiking, golfing, and spending winters in California to spend time with Mark and his family.  She also worked as a librarian. Every week she would help the grandchildren expand their minds by providing books and articles from her unique perspective. Marjorie was always finding ways to help and support her family members, and always gave the best, most practical advice.  As her Alzheimer’s advanced, she blessed her family by facing it with grace, dignity, and a cheerful disposition.

The family of Marjorie sends our most heartfelt gratitude to Chalisa Biddison for her years of care and support.  We also would like to extend our most sincere appreciation to all of the staff at The Auberge of Lake Zurich for creating a wonderful end-of-life environment, not just for Marjorie, but for the whole family.

Marjorie was the beloved wife of the late Dean Eggen for 40 years.  She was the loving mother of: Karen (Don) Bianchi, Mark (Julie) Eggen, Nancy (Tom Long) Eggen; and dear grandmother of: Taylor, Daniel, Nick, Derek, Mitchell, Drew, and Jason.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, Gerald Knips.

In memory of Marjorie, clean out a closet, or post a memory to the obituary, or make a contribution to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.