Stoughton
In 1918, Marge Gilbertson was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin, the eldest of four children in a tight-knit Norwegian-American community where “everyone had an accent, though no one has been there”. Marge’s parents were Norwegian farmers, and in addition to art, farm life was very influential and throughout her life she was an avid award-winning cook and baker.
At an early age, Marge displayed a skill and passion for art, and her collection includes sketches, drawings, and early watercolors from her childhood.
Milwaukee
After graduating from high school, Marge received a scholarship to study at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee. Marge excelled in her studies and demonstrated the work ethic that produced such a large body of work.
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In Milwaukee, Marge met Harold Rodney Dodge, from Clintonville, Wisconsin, who was studying entomology at a university in town. It was one of many degrees at various universities that Rodney would attain. The two married in 1941 and embarked on their first cross-country move together to Georgia.
