Rooney Family Tree

Margaret C. "Muggs" Chamberlain, 85, former Bovey, Minn., resident, died Friday, Dec. 30, 2005 in the Hillview Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in La Crosse.

Born Feb. 2, 1920 in Hibbing, she was the daughter of William and Nettie Ryser. At an early age, she moved to Taconite, Minn., and graduated from Greenway High School of Coleraine, Minn., in 1938. Muggs and Gerald "Dan" Chamberlain were married Jan. 16, 1941. They moved to Bovey in 1943 and Muggs was a resident of Bovey until April of 2002 when her illness forced the relocation to an extended care facility in La Crosse.

Muggs was known throughout the community for her annual holiday baking of candies, cookies, and fudge. She enjoyed camping and playing cards with family and friends. She was a member of the First United Church of Coleraine & Bovey and was very happy to be involved in the participation and leadership of the Bible study program. With her sister-in-law, Kath LeClair and a couple of friends, she made custom draperies for the local J.C. Penney outlet. When the Danube mine closed, she went to work full time for J.C. Penney in Grand Rapids, Minn., until her retirement. She maintained longtime friendships with many of the associates of the store.

Her parents, William and Nettie Ryser; her loving husband of 50+ years, Gerald "Dan"; a sister, Kathleen and her husband, Theon Stapleton; brothers-in-law, Timmy and Mickey Chamberlain; and a sister-in-law, Muriel and her husband, Al Holzmer preceded her in death.

Survivors include her sons, Bill (Merrie Jo) Chamberlain of La Crosse, and Curt Chamberlain of Bovey; grandchildren, Sheryl (Mark) Havermann of Omaha, Neb., Shannon Chamberlain of Hudson, Wis., Jerry Chamberlain of Kansas City, Mo., Krista (Rob) Sjostrand and Scott Chamberlain, both of Grand Rapids, Krista and Scott's mother, Donna (Rich) Derby of Grand Rapids; great-grandchildren, Aleigha, Kielynn and Brielle Havermann, and Madison Sjostrand; a brother, James "Bud" (Judy) Ryser of Taconite; brothers-in-law, Mike (Amelia) Chamberlain of Taconite, Terry (Dori) Chamberlain of Ft. Worth, Texas; sisters-in-law, Kath LeClair of Taconite, Madeline "Honey" (Al) Medina of Ft. Worth and Shirley (Richard) Stocco of Nashwauk, Minn.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cherished friends.

After the death of her husband in 1991, she was especially appreciative to accompany her niece, Sandy Mattice, on a trip to the Hawaiian Islands and Portland, Ore.

Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5 in the Peterson Funeral Chapel of Coleraine, and will continue from 1 p.m. until the 2 p.m. funeral service Friday, Jan. 6 in First United Church of Coleraine & Bovey. Interment will be in the Lakeview Cemetery, Coleraine.

The family requests memorials to Hillview Health Care and Rehabilitation Center of

La Crosse or the First United Church of Coleraine & Bovey.