Injuries claim the life of Northwood woman

Thu October 04 2007
Posted Oct 4, 2007
6,298

LAKE MILLS — Marie Degn of Northwood, who died Wednesday at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa of injuries suffered in bicycle-truck accident on Sept. 27, was remembered as a kind-hearted person who loved life on the farm and its animals. “I remember her as somebody I could always depend on,” said her brother, Gaylen Quam of Northwood. “Very kind hearted.” Quam said Degn, 67, always cared about her neighbors and would often deliver fresh garden vegetables to them. If they didn’t need the food, she would give it to another neighbor. “She was always sending tomatoes and radishes to us here,” he said. Degn and her husband Leroy, 87, lived on a farm outside of Northwood and raised cattle until about a year ago. “She really liked her cattle and her cats and animals of all kinds,” Quam said. “That was her whole joy.” He said she knew the names to all of the cattle and cats on the farm. She enjoyed other outdoor activities as well. “She knew a lot about nature and she’d go fishing a lot,” said her son, Paul Degn, who lives in Waseca, Minn. “She went fishing with me as a kid.” Marie never learned how to drive, making a bicycle her primary mode of transportation. “It was a relaxation thing more than anything,” Paul said. Marie was riding her bike east of Lake Mills on Highway 105 when a pickup drove by Vernon Hagen, 80, Lake Mills, struck its rear. The accident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed. A death notice for Mrs. Degn may be found on Page A8 of today’s Globe Gazette.