Bette 'Marlene' Fast

Betty "Marlene" Fast, 74, of Mountain Lake, Minn., died on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014, at Good Samaritan Village in Mountain Lake.

Visitation will be on Friday, Oct. 10, from 10-11 a.m. at the Cornerstone Bible Church in Mountain Lake.

Services will be held at the Cornerstone Bible Church on Friday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Nathan Janzen officiating, followed by interment at the Cornerstone Bible Cemetery in Mountain Lake.

She was born on April 24, 1940, in Wolf Point, Mont., to Arthur and Elizabeth (Koslowsky) Fast. In her early years, she went forward in her home church during a revival service and received Christ as her Lord and Savior. She was baptized upon confession of faith in 1952. She attended country school in the Lustre area and graduated from Lustre Bible Academy in 1963, several years later than expected. This was due to a diagnosis of Sydenham's chorea in her early teen years that put her on bed rest for five years; the condition became a chronic one for her. Nonetheless, she graduated from Northern Montana College in Havre in 1967 with her bachelor's degree in elementary education.

She taught various places in Montana, South Dakota and Minnesota for the next six years. Although she then left the teaching profession, she continued to have a lifelong love for children and teaching.

She moved to Omaha, Neb., in 1974, where she spent 29 years working in daycare and other positions. She formed many lasting friendships during her time there and loved entertaining those friends in her home. She faithfully volunteered in the nursery at the Community Bible Church in Ralston, Neb., where she got acquainted with and supported numerous missionaries. She continued to support them her whole life.

Due to health issues, she moved to Mountain Lake, Minn., in 2003 to be close to her sister, Marge. After a fall in November 2008 and surgery to repair her broken hip, she entered the Eventide Home and later the Good Samaritan Village.

She will be remembered by many for faithfully sending birthday cards and letters as long as she was able to do so. She never felt inhibited by her condition to go out and meet people. As a result, she had many friendships in many places. Never once did she complain about her chronic condition - truly a lesson for us all.

Many years ago, her dad introduced the song, "Others," to the family. It became the Fast family song and was sung every time they gathered. Marlene truly embodied the words of the song throughout her life.

She was preceded in death by two brothers-in-law, and a niece.

She is survived by six siblings: Marge Friesen and her husband, Willard, of Mountain Lake, Minn .; Martin Fast and his wife, Karen, of Frazer; Marliss Busenitz and her husband, Eldon, of Waxahachie, Texas; Iris Troche and her husband, Joe, of El Paso, Texas; Mariett Olfert and her husband, Ron, of Frazer; and Marla McKinley-Forbes and her husband, Donald, of Chester, Mont .; 26 nieces and nephews and 61 great-nieces and nephews.

Online condolences may be left at http://www.sturmfh.com.

Arrangements are with the Sturm Funeral Home in Mountain Lake.