Retired
Spouse: Erling
3 Children
6 Grandchildren
Info. update: 04/27/2022

I have been contemplating for months now what I want to tell you about myself that would give meaning to my life. Today, I recalled the song that became my theme song two years ago after I underwent open heart surgery to replace my aortic heart valve, a congenital condition I had not known of until five years prior that was followed five days later by the implanting of a pace maker. My recovery was phenomenal and I could only sing praises to the God who cares to know my name, would care to feel my hurt, not because of who I am but because of who He is. To not share this with you would not be true to myself.

To know me would reveal all my shortcomings. I can guarantee you I am likely to let you down and not reach the expectations you might have for me. Perhaps my growth was stunted in that I found my fulfillment in being a wife and mother at a very early age. Erling and I just recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary; I was entering Central the summer in 1958 when we met. Perhaps you would have dealt with life issues like the death of our three-year-old son through a hit and run accident three weeks after our ten-year reunion in 1971, occurring in Duluth. Perhaps the life threatening cancer my husband had when he was 44 years old, which included surgery, chemo and radiation that lasted almost a year would have directed your life differently. Perhaps your comfort would have come from another source.

God used my good friend from seventh grade through high school, Sue Mattson and her sister to show me how to walk through this life by faith rather than thinking I had to do it all on my own. A faith that began at an early age, but was never nurtured and watered except for one hour on Sunday morning until 1975.

The fruit of our lives are our three children, all with college degrees, and six grandchildren, one in college, two in high school, one in kindergarten and two in preschool. Additionally, we have been involved in the lives of disabled adults at our church by assuming leadership in a class for them the last twenty years, only recently yielding the class to our daughter and son in law and other staff members.

Employment over our lifetime has been uneventful but provided enough for us to be comfortable and maintain a nice quality of life. Erling remained in the food industry his whole career that began as a bag boy at the Super Value store on 9th street in Duluth.

We have chosen to live in a condo in Richfield, MN and give up the demanding maintenance of owning our own home when Erling was in need of two hip replacements six years ago. We have resided in the Twin Cities suburbs in all for thirty-six years. Condo living allows us to travel more, each year extending the time we spend in Arizona to escape the cold of Minnesota, a very wise choice this year, indeed. Our stay was enriched by seeing classmates, some I never had a connection with in high school but friendships came alive in the mutual grounding of those days at Duluth Central a half century ago.

I look forward to being part of the reunion in renewing and building on those old friendships. Peace be with you. Proverbs 3:5,6