Obituaries from the week of Jan. 25, 2012
Mary Donaldson, 84
Mary Catherine Donaldson, age
84, died Wednesday, January 18, 2011, at her home in Tracy, Minnesota.
Mary was born to A.W. and
Hulda Kangas on February 2, 1927 in Crosby, MN, where she graduated from high
school in 1945.
Mary attended Carleton College
in Northfield, MN, where she met her husband Dick upon his return from service
in World War II. Mary and Dick were married in Crosby, MN, on June 19,
1948.
Mary enjoyed reading,
gardening and crafts, especially sewing and needle crafts; enjoyed the
camaraderie of music clubs, the country club, bridge clubs, supper club, study
club, and discussion club; enjoyed activities such as birding, golfing and
cross-country skiing; and enjoyed hosting her clubs and friends.
Mary served her church, Tracy
United Methodist Church, as well as the Tracy Presbyterian Church, as organist;
served her community as librarian for many years at the Tracy Public Library;
and served her country as a volunteer in the Peace Corps from 1984 through 1988
in Jamaica and Barbados.
Mary lovingly supported her
husband throughout his business and civic life and supported her children by
creating opportunities for exploration and creativity. Mary and Dick
hosted an American Field Service foreign exchange student, Pyatat Tatsanavivat
from Thailand during the 1967-68 school year and continued to serve as an AFS
regional coordinator for many years.
Mary is preceded in death by
her parents; and by her sister and brother in law, Ruth and Robert Bye,
She is survived by her husband,
Dick of Tracy; their children and spouses, Mark (Pat) Donaldson of Knoxville,
TN, Scott (Mary) Donaldson of Cincinnati, OH, and Laurel Donaldson Ulland of
Minneapolis, MN; and their only grandchild, Lindsay Donaldson of Dallas,
TX.
Mary’s family wishes to
acknowledge and thank all those caregivers who provided Mary support in these
last few years, especially Lynda Baskerville, Gladys Hahn, Annika Sahlstrom,
Denise Hatch, Janet Randall and Janet Cyr.
A celebration of Mary’s life
will be held Sunday, January 22nd at 3:00 p.m. at Tracy United Methodist
Church. Memorials may be made to support the Prairie Home Hospice of
Marshall, MN, and research into Alzheimer’s disease. May her legacy live
on in the way we all lead our lives.
Bernetta Olson, 95
Bernetta I. Olson, age 95, of
Tracy, Minnesota died on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at the Prairie View
Healthcare Center in Tracy. Funeral
Services were held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 23, 2012 at the Zion
Lutheran Church in Tracy. Burial
was in the Hoiland Cemetery. Online condolences may be placed at www.almliefh.com. Almlie Family Funeral Service
- Tracy, Balaton and Westbrook provided the arrangements.
Bernetta Irene Olson was born
January 6, 1917 to Fred and Gertrude (Monroe) Strunk in Frankfort, SD. She was baptized and confirmed in the
Christian faith and attended country school and high school in South
Dakota. In 1935 she moved with her
family to a farm north of Slayton, MN and graduated from Slayton High School
that same year.
On November 23, 1939 Bernetta
married Gerhard Olson on the Olson Family farm near Garvin, MN. They made their home on the Olson farm
from 1939 to 1979. After her
husband’s death that year Bernetta moved into Tracy, MN.
Bernetta was a house wife and
mother to two children and was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Tracy, where
she was active in Circle and the Ladies Aid. She enjoyed Embroidery, crocheting, playing cards and Bingo,
but especially loved spending time with her family and friends.
In January of 2004 she became
a resident of Tracy Nursing Home and in December of 2007 moved to Prairie View
Healthcare Center in Tracy. On
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Bernetta died at Prairie View, surrounded by her
loving family, at the age of 95.
Bernetta is survived by her
one daughter, Roberta (Daryld) Brinkman of Verndale, MN; one son, Eugene
“Buzzy” (Barb) Olson of Tracy, MN; six grandchildren; fifteen great
grandchildren; nieces, nephews and friends.
Her parents, husband, Gerhard,
one infant brother, and three sisters, Floy Derenberg, Sylvia “Babe” (Anton)
Peterson, and Mattie (Blaine) Coyle all preceded her in death.
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