Marlis Fay Cran

Marlis Fay Cran, 88, of Duluth, passed away on Saturday July 19, 2025, in the Aftenro Home. She was born in Duluth on March 30, 1937, to Roy and Edith Briddell.

Marlis was a proud Class of 1955 graduate of Denfeld High School in Duluth. While there she participated in a variety of activities including Girls Sports, Latin Club, Social Chairman and two Operettas. She then attended the University of Minnesota Duluth on a scholarship provided to her by a group of Lincoln Junior High and Denfeld High School teachers. She was on her high school class reunion committee her entire adult life. The committee helped to establish a scholarship for future Denfeld graduates. She and her future husband, Don Cran, Denfeld Class of 1949 would ultimately buy a home in Piedmont Heights to ensure that all their children would be proud Denfeld graduates as well!

Marlis met Don Cran during her time at UMD, and they married on June 29, 1957. With the births of 5 children from 1958 to 1966, life became very active. Family get-togethers with the extended Duluth family happened frequently at either Marlis’s parents’ home for Sunday dinner or at Don’s mother’s and step-father’s home, remembered for all of the strawberry pop. Holidays were often celebrated in Marlis and Don’s home or in the summer with picnics at Billings Park. Weekend camping all over Minnesota and northern Wisconsin led to many family adventures. As Don’s sisters all lived out of state there were major trips to Iowa, Colorado and Maine. In 1976 Marlis and Don purchased a cabin on Island Lake. Being close to Duluth allowed for the older children to work part-time and continue with activities then drive to the cabin to join the rest of the family. There were sports teams galore—Little League, softball, golf and of course, hockey. During the school year Marlis was active in PTA. For the children there were band and choir concerts often followed by a trip to Bridgeman’s.

During all of the above, Marlis decided she wanted to become an election judge. There was an opening in a Piedmont Heights precinct. The problem was that the opening was for a Republican. This didn’t deter the lifelong Democrat. She changed her registration and became an election judge, serving until 2019.

Marlis was active in promoting many social and civic organizations, starting with Girl Scout troops for her daughters and being a Cub Scout Den Mother for her sons. During her Girl Scout years she brought countless girls to summer day camps and sleep-over camps, often with her younger sons in tow! She continued her volunteer work with Girl Scouts as city-wide cookie chairwoman for many years after her daughters had completed scouting as Senior Girl Scouts. Once all the children were in school Marlis went to work in Wahl’s Department Store in the men’s department. She was there from 1974 until Wahl’s closed in 1987.

Starting with her marriage to Don, Marlis who was raised as a Baptist, became an active member first of St. Paul’s Evangelical and Reformed Church then of Peace United Church of Christ. She sang in the choir and taught Sunday school. She served as a lay leader, on a pastoral call committee, and even as church moderator. In wider church mission, she was a delegate to statewide conference meetings and denomination-wide women’s meetings of the United Church of Christ.

Her volunteerism with CHUM(Central Hillside United Ministry) bringing God’s word to developmentally disabled persons, with the Food Shelf as a volunteer and as a board member, with Lighthouse for the Blind coordinating volunteer readers and reading the news herself on air, serving on the board and taking many classes through University for Seniors, and tutoring students in reading at Piedmont and Grant Elementary schools led her to decide she wanted to formalize her love for helping people. She was off on her next adventure.

In 1988 Marlis decided to go back to school to pursue a degree. She attended classes at the Duluth Community College Center from Hibbing Community College for which she earned an Associate in Arts Degree. She also attended classes from Mesabi Community College for which she earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Human Services. She had earned two degrees in two years, was voted Outstanding Student by the faculty and gave the Commencement Address at her graduation in June 1990. She put her Human Services degree to work at CHUM Duluth Emergency Food Shelf from 1991-1997.

Marlis and Don did a fair amount of traveling near and far. They went to Viking games and Twins games in the cities with friends. They took a cruise. Marlis traveled to Texas to visit a high school friend and went with another high school friend to Washington, D.C. Marlis explored Pipestone, MN and she experienced New York City with University for Seniors groups. She traveled with family to Hawaii and accompanied Doug to Korea to adopt grandson Ian.

Marlis will be missed by the many whose lives she touched. Her family will miss her laugh and her potato salad. Be with Jesus and your Don, Mom. We love you.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Donald G. Cran, siblings Dorothy Brown, Evelyn Nelson, Donald Briddell, and Joyce Briddell, and her daughter-in-law Ginny Cran.

She is survived by her children Loni Cran-Hovis, Darlene (Todd) Schroedel, Stewart Cran, Doug (Colleen) Cran, and Darrell Cran, grandchildren, Jeremy Cran, Dale and Justin Hovis, Emily (Henry) Wolfe, Anna Fay Schroedel, Laura Schroedel, Amanda Cran, Jonah, Ian, and Caleb Cran, great-grandchildren Kyra, Caleb, Kendra, Paxton, Slade, Corbin, and Ryker, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A service and celebration of Marlis Cran will be held at Peace United Church of Christ. 1111 N 11th Ave. E., Duluth, MN 55805. Visitation will be held on Saturday July 26, 2025, from 10AM until the 11AM Memorial Service. Burial will be in Oneota Cemetery. Arrangements by Williams-Lobermeier-Boettcher Funeral Home. 3208 W. 3rd St. Duluth, MN 55806. 218-624-1059.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to Peace United Church of Christ, or CHUM, or any of the other charitable organizations that Marlis provided her time and talents to as mentioned above.