Mariel L. Wolter, age 93, of Burnsville, passed away Feb. 18, 2026. Preceded in death by parents Orville and Juanita Hanson and her husband of
61 years, Dr. Frederick H. Wolter.  Born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on January 3, 1933, Mariel came to live in Hawley, Minnesota in 1934 where her father was a grocer. She attended school in Hawley and enjoyed reading, music and activities with the Camp Fire Girls. Mariel also won a regional spelling bee and learned to drive at a young age. She graduated in 1951 and moved to Minneapolis to study nursing at Fairview Hospital. While there she met Fred, to whom she was married in 1954. They lived in north Minneapolis and four sons were born to them. She was a good cook and took a keen interest in their welfare, also serving on the local PTA. She also had a sweet tooth and enjoyed getting her family something special like chocolate malts or bismarks.

Fred and Mariel were hardworking but sometimes got to travel together or with their children – to Florida (1956), Washington state (1957), Mexico (1958), Montana (1964), Wyoming (1967), California (1969) and Europe (1973). More frequently we enjoyed our visits with grandparents!  Mariel had a lifelong interest in learning and eventually went back to school to get a teaching degree. After a few teaching assignments in Minneapolis, she was hired in Burnsville in 1974 as a full-time social studies teacher at Nicollet Junior High. This led to a 30-year career in which she earned recognition as Burnsville's 1980 Teacher of the Year, led the social studies department and helped negotiate contracts. She encouraged many students to take part in the YMCA's Youth in Government and Model UN programs, for which she was an advisor. She also trained several student teachers over the years.In 1998, after Fred's retirement from medicine, they moved to Burnsville and promoted the establishment of Valley Natural Foods Co-op, Fairview Ridges Hospital and the YMCA. She was known for swimming laps and got an award for swimming a mile.

The two of them also enjoyed their Elderhostel travels in the U.S., but Mariel also traveled to Tanzania to visit students she'd sponsored for
Maasai girls. Fred and Mariel also had Ethiopian refugees living in their home and helped them get established in this country.  Mariel loved her home in Burnsville, where she would admire the deer and birds who came to visit. She and Fred also loved dogs, the last of whom was an adorable Shih-tzu named Yogi.  They were longtime members of Central Lutheran Church, where she served as VBS teacher and read Scripture. They supported charities benefiting disadvantaged children, and loaned modest amounts of money to help sustain small business owners in Third World countries.  Mariel was a friendly and social person who enjoyed the many friendships she had from the above involvements.

She is survived by sons Frederick (Martha Grussing) of Roseville, MN; Timothy (Laura Kasdorf) of Chippewa Falls, WI; Christopher of Minneapolis, MN and Jeffrey of Robbinsdale, MN; grandchildren Frederick of Seattle, WA, Emilie of Hastings, MN, Max (Rebecca Slattery) of
Hayward, WI, Karl (Kelly) of Chippewa Falls, WI and Gustav (Stephanie) of Fairchild, WI; greatgrandchildren Calvin, Autumn and William; sister
Connie (Roderick) Olson of Minnetonka, MN; nephew Warren Wolter of Cincinnati, OH; nieces Jane (Paul) Hicks of Omaha, NE and Maren
(Nathan) Ahlberg of Golden Valley, MN; as well as other relatives and friends

Memorial service 11:00 am Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at Central Lutheran Church, 333 S. 12th St, Minneapolis, MN. Visitation Monday, March 9,
2026 from 4-7 pm at White Funeral Home, 12804 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville, MN and also 1 hour prior to the service. Service broadcast live www.centralmpls.org on church website and accessible for 3 months via YouTube (Central Lutheran Sound Operator). Interment Lakewood
Cemetery.

The family would like to thank those at JonesHarrison and Methodist Hospital who cared for Mom in her later days. Also the many church friends over the years from Hawley Lutheran, Highland Park Presbyterian, Salem Free Church and Central Lutheran who fellowshipped with her
and were blessed by her. The colleagues at Nicollet she befriended and the many students she was privileged to work with.

The friends she made from Ethiopia, China, Paraguay and elsewhere. The neighbors she knew on the Northside and in Burnsville. Thank you for your friendship and may God bless you.