Funeral services for Margaret Eleanor Olson Dowd, 72, of Albert Lea and formerly of Hartland, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, Albert Lea. The Rev. Richard Spande will officiate. Interment will be at Central Freeborn Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church.

Margaret passed away peacefully Friday, March 7, 2008, at Albert Lea Medical Center.

Margaret Eleanor Olson Dowd was born on Aug. 4, 1935, to Joseph and Marion (Blowers) Sather in Waseca. She graduated from Barnum High School. Margaret married Ole Marlowe Olson on March 6, 1954. She spent her time as a homemaker and farmed with her husband in Manchester Township. Ole preceded her in death in February of 1990. Margaret married Donald Dowd on Nov. 28, 1992. She was a member of the Central Freeborn WELCA, Altar Guild and church choir. Margaret was a volunteer for the Red Cross bloodmobile, a proud member of the TOPS Mn. 979, and was currently serving on the Manchester-Hartland telephone board as the secretary treasurer. She served as an election judge for both general and city elections for many years. She and her husband Donald spent many happy times at their cabin in northern Minnesota. Margaret was a member of the Tuesday morning Merry Hearts, a group which knits prayer shawls for distribution throughout the world.

Survivors include her husband, Donald; children, Ole (Aimee) Olson of Albert Lea, Jeffrey (Dawn) Olson of Woodbury, Joan (Larry) Grove of Wanamingo, Richard (Denise) Olson of Ellendale, and Karen (Gary) Goette of Albert Lea; 27 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; step children, Deborah (Larry) Bergeson of Albert Lea, Diane (Jim) Anderson of Vermillion, Dwight Dowd of Apache Junction, Ariz., and Denise (Drake) Dietz of Bloomington; seven step-grandchildren; and five step-great-grandchildren; sisters, Kathryn Siltanen, and Theresa (Doug) Nelson; brothers, David (LouAnn) Sather, Gordon Sather, and Gary (Peggy) Sather; many nieces and nephews; and special &8220;sister&8221; Sandy Roscoe.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents; son, Kevin in 1987; first husband, Ole Marlowe Olson in 1990; and brother, Chris Sather in 1992.