Marian Haraldson Messing

Marian Haraldson Messing, 82, formerly of Northwood, ND, passed away Friday, April 22, 2016 at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in New Jersey. A memorial service will be held Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. at Northwood Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northwood. A visitation will be held from 2:00-3:00 p.m. at the church.

Marian was born September 5, 1933, the daughter of Harry and Selma Haraldson. She grew up on a farm east of Northwood and graduated from Northwood High School in 1951. Her first year in college was spent at the University of North Dakota, where she majored in music. From there, she went to St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, for three years. She was a member of the world famous St. Olaf Choir, directed by Olaf C. Christianson. In 1955, she was indeed fortunate to tour Europe with the choir and sing in Norway, Sweden and Holland. After her tour of Europe, Marian moved to New York City to pursue her music career. Marian's performances have been many and varied. Highlights include performing in an opera, singing sextet in nightclubs in Las Vegas, and Miami with Milton Berle; appearing in a made for TV production of "Once Upon a Mattress" with Carol Burnett; and performing in sixteen Broadway musicals from "First Impressions" in 1958 to "Woman of the Year" in 1982 with Louren Bacall. The Palace, a Broadway theatre, built in the early 1900's, was a special place to Northwood's talented singer, not only because she has performed there, because it was there she met Herb Messing. Herb was an electrician with Broadway and TV shows. He would shine spotlights on pretty girls. It was not strange that he chose Marian to be his wife for 42 years.

Marian is survived by her loving husband, Herb; sister-in-law, Mary; niece, Teresa and her daughters, Stacy and Anna Maria; niece, Linda and her son Eric; nephew, Craig (Jamie) and their children Jacob and Allison.

Preceding her in death were her parents, brother, Harald; niece, Carla; and half-brother, Waldo Tollefson.