Marlene Moe

Marlene Annette Moe, 76, of Bismarck, ND, passed away peacefully on the evening of July 6, 2026, at Touchmark in Bismarck, surrounded by love, after a long journey with Alzheimer's dementia. She left this world the way she lived in it: quietly, gently, and thinking of others to the very end.

Marlene was born October 22, 1949, in Webster, SD, the only child of Albert Riggenholt and Bertine (Wasland) Riggenholt. She grew up in a lively, multigenerational home in Wallace, SD, where her parents owned and operated a café. Three cousins lived nearby, and the four girls were nearly inseparable. In 1963 the family moved to Lynchburg, ND, where her father managed the grain elevator. Marlene graduated from high school in Chaffee, ND, where she was crowned homecoming queen.

She went on to North Dakota State University, earning her degree in medical technology and meeting the love of her life, Thomas Ardell Moe. They married on July 2, 1971, and settled in Bismarck, where they raised their two children, Jason and Stephanie.

Marlene spent 42 years as a medical technologist at MedCenter One in Bismarck and taught in the two-year med tech program at Sanford Hospital, passing her knowledge on to the next generation. Her devotion showed most in the small, faithful things. Everyday after work, no matter the weather, she stopped to visit her aging parents and help with whatever they needed. She never spoke of it. She simply did it.

Family was her greatest joy. She treasured being “Grandma” to Hannah, Olivia, Josh, and Tyler, and “Great-Grandma” to Ellianna, Emmett, Elijah, and Evelyn. She was happiest in the sunshine and near the water, spending summers at the family cabin near Pick City on Lake Sakakawea and winters at her home in Gilbert, Arizona. She was an avid bowler who loved her walks, playing cards with family and friends, the company of dogs, and hosting big Super Bowl parties. Around the holidays, her kitchen filled with the smell of peanut brittle, lefse, and krumkake, made by hand and given away freely. A proud NDSU Bison, a loyal Vikings fan, and 100% Norwegian, Marlene kept her door, and her heart, always open.

Ask anyone who knew her, and you will hear the same word: sweet. She never had a bad word to say about anyone and never asked for anything for herself. Beneath that gentle surface lived a quiet strength that carried her, with grace, through everything life asked of her.

Marlene is survived by her son, Jason Moe (wife Tonya), of Mandan, ND; her daughter, Stephanie Moe (Uros Lukic), of Index, WA; her grandchildren, Hannah Scheetz (husband Matthew) of Mandan, Olivia Moe (Johnny Mindt) of Bismarck, Joshua Moe (Anna Masseth) of Mandan, and Tyler Moe of Mandan; and her great-grandchildren, Ellianna, Emmett, Elijah, and Evelyn Scheetz.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Bertine Riggenholt, and her beloved husband, Thomas Moe, who passed away January 8, 2015.

The family extends a heartfelt thank-you to the staff at Touchmark and the Caring Edge hospice team for their compassionate care.

Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m., on Friday, July 10, 2026, at the Touchmark Chapel in Bismarck.

In lieu of flowers, and in honor of Marlene's lifelong love of dogs, memorials may be directed to the Central Dakota Humane Society in Mandan, ND.