In her life, the children always came first

Marjorie Gasch of Cokato, a former Orono Schools board member, was a dedicated volunteer in her community.

Gasch, who moved to Waverly, Minn., about 15 years ago, died on Dec. 27 in Cokato. She was 80, and had Alzheimer's disease.

"She put in thousands of hours of volunteer work for the children of these communities," said Karen Orcutt, superintendent of Orono Schools. "She was a responsible citizen, dedicated to children and dedicated to her community."

While on the school board from 1970-78, she worked hard to get a swimming pool and auditorium built for students. That was just part of the work she did for the schools from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Whether it was to improve policy, such as special-education programs, or simply to read to children, she was always available, said her friends and family members.

Former school board chairman Dave McKown of Independence said she ran "committee after committee," and also school-related elections.

McKown said Gasch could do any task well, and fondly recalled how they stumped for each other while campaigning at election time, even though they were in competition.

"She taught me that you must listen to people and see what their concerns are and take their concerns as far as you can go with them," said McKown.

Gasch grew up in New Jersey and attended college in Vermont, moving to Orono in 1955. Her son Robert of Cokato said she always felt connected to lake life.

While growing up, she spent summer vacations at a family lake cabin in northwestern New Jersey. She and her husband raised their family on Lake Minnetonka. And when she moved to Waverly 15 years ago, she lived on Highland Lake.

Gasch also was active with several clean-water groups in Orono and Waverly.

Opposing big development

While serving on the Orono City Planning Commission in the 1970s, she argued against a large mixed-use real estate development, believing it was far larger than what the area could support.

"She was right," said Robert, a leader of the Western Hennepin County Pioneers Association, adding that she supported the establishment of the Freshwater Biological Institute at the development site.

For more than 20 years, she was the representative from the Orono School District on the board of what is now Hennepin Technical College.

She began a program for pregnant teens that allowed them to complete their high-school studies at the college.

"She wanted all kids to have opportunities to improve their lives, no matter what their situation might be," said her son.

In Waverly, she helped found the Hubert H. Humphrey Museum. After a fire shut down the museum in 1997, she helped restore the collection, which now is part of the Wright County Historical Society.

Her husband, Robert, died in 1967.

In addition to her son Robert, she is survived by two other sons, James of Greenfield, Minn., and Gregory of Waverly, Iowa; daughter, Linda Stewart of Minnetonka; brother, Robert Fuller of Tenafly, N.J.; sisters, Carol Chaffee of Missoula, Mont., and Jean Sears of Lenexa, Kan., and 10 grandchildren.

Services have been held.