Margaret Ann Lanctot, 98, of rural Crookston, MN, passed away at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie and David Paul, on Sunday afternoon, November 5, 2023, with family at her side.
Margaret was born on February 19, 1925, in rural Red Lake Falls, MN to Frank and Angela (Scheifert) Schmidt. She was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith, attended school in Red Lake Falls, and graduated from Lafayette High School with the Class of 1943.
Margaret briefly taught in one-room schoolhouses for 3 years in Huot and Terrebonne, MN before marrying Roland Edward Lanctot on January 29, 1948. The couple purchased a farm in rural Crookston and began to farm, raising various grains, beans, sunflowers, corn, and milking cows. For a number of years during that time, Margaret was the President of the Saint Anne’s Society, and taught Catechism at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Gentilly, MN. She also was the bookkeeper for the Gentilly Cheese Factory Coop.
Margaret enjoyed spending time with family, reading, bird watching, and especially traveling with Roland throughout the United States before his passing in 1993.
Margaret will be very sadly missed by her two daughters and son-in-law, Susan Keller of Minnetonka, MN and Bonnie and David Paul of rural Crookston; 9 grandchildren: Dustan (Eileen) Paul, Gregory Lanctot, Jacalyn (Seth) Wilkes, Jennifer (Chris) Tollefson, Karen (Leif) Skogsberg, Katherine Lanctot, Kristina Keller-Dufresne (Rob Dufresne), Lori Keller, and Mark Keller; 16 great-grandchildren: Jasmine, Daniel, Margaret, Quinn, Luke, Ana, Charlotte, Claire, Ethan, Melanie, Wyatt, Jamis, Emery, Amanda, Kylie, and Ellie; sister Evelyn (Delbert) Desrosier of Crookston; and brother Andrew Schmidt of Watertown, WI.
She was preceded in death by her husband Roland, sons Timothy and David, infant daughter Mary, daughter-in-law Saralee, and siblings Raymond Schmidt, Frank Schmidt, and Harriet Violet.
The Funeral Mass for Margaret will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, November 11, 2023, in Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 596 East Robert Street, Crookston, MN with Fr. Louis Alessio, presiding. The visitation will be for one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Gentilly, MN. Messages of condolence may be given to the family by going to Margaret’s obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske.com. In lieu of flowers please consider a gift in Margaret’s name to Hospice of the Red River Valley.
