FUNERAL SERVICES will be at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, May 21 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mora with Fr. Eugene Plaisted officiating.

VISITATION will be from 4:00-7:00 P.M. on Sunday, May 20 at Akkerman-Ingebrand Funeral Home in Mora; plus one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church.

INTERMENT will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Mora.

Memorials in lieu of flowers may be sent to the VA Medical Center- 4801 Veterans Dr. St. Cloud, MN 56303

Roland “Yank” Marcus Yankowiak, of Mora, MN, passed away on May 15, 2012 at the St. Cloud VA surrounded by his family.  He was 86 years old.

Roland was born on May 28, 1925, to parents John and Mary (Rasinski) Yankowiak in Rosemount, MN.  The family moved to Mora in 1938.  At age 17, Roland joined the Marine Corps and served until 1944 when he was honorably discharged due to war time injuries.  He returned home and graduated with Mora’s Class of 1945.  He was a longtime member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.    Roland was united in marriage to Adeline Kaiser on August 4, 1947.  To this union 10 children were born.  After living in Mora for 14 years, the family moved to the farm where they resided for the next 42 years.

In the late 1940’s, both Adeline and Roland worked at the Paradise Theater where Adeline sold tickets and Roland ran the movie reels.  Starting in 1951, Roland took several construction jobs overseas including Africa, Iceland, and Newfoundland.  He returned home for good in 1955 and began his 31 year career with Arcon Construction.  Roland was a very gifted mechanic who could fix and operate almost any piece of machinery.  Upon retirement he continued to stay busy building and working on equipment.

He will always be remembered as a very hard worker who always had time to help others, whether it was plowing snow or doing mechanical work.  He enjoyed polka music and went to many dances in his younger years.  He loved to tell stories and had an amazing memory. Time spent with his children and grandchildren was very important and special to him.  He will be missed by many.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife of 62 years, Adeline, son Steven and infant son Joseph.

Roland is survived by his sons Bruce (Maggie) of Duluth, Greg (Deb) of Mora, Doug (Randi) of Mora, Mike (Sue) of Zimmerman, Tom of Cook; daughters Karen (Steve) Roles of Pewaukee, WI,, Mary Jo (Barry) Graber of Brook Park and Barb (Kevin) Herwig of Mora; 16 grandchildren, John, Mark, Dave, Pete, Dan, Nicole, Kelsey, Ryan, Matt, Lindsay, Heather, Luke, Anni, Adam, Brad, and Aaron; 11 great-grandchildren: Ally, Caleb, Annika, Sofie, Betsy, Theydon, Adley, Lola, Sydney, Madison, and Brandon; also several step-grandchildren  and step great-grandchildren; sister Dolores Paggen of Sartell and sister-in-law Marie Haley of Foley; and many other relatives and friends.

FUNERAL SERVICES will be held on Saturday, May 12th at 11:00 A.M. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kroschel with Rev. Michael Breach officiating.

VISITATION will be from 5:00-7:00 P.M. on Friday, May 11th at Akkerman-Ingebrand Funeral Home in Mora; plus one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church.

INTERMENT will be at Oakwood Cemetery in Mora.

Delores Ardelle Koch of Pomroy township, Brook Park, Minnesota passed away on Wednesday, May 9th at St.Claire Living Community in Mora, where she had resided for the past three years, at the age of 79.

She was born on October, 21, 1932, to George and Myrna (Smith) Bassett in Ford Township.  She attended school in Warman .

On April 23rd, 1949, she married Harry Koch and together they started farming on the family homestead.  To them were born three children.  During her lifetime she kept busy with dairy and beef farming, gardening and canning.  She also worked as a smokechaser in the Pomroy fire tower for a few years, and a fire warden for more than 25 years.  She was involved with church activities until health issues prevented her from participating any longer.  Delores was a Stanley Home products representative for many years.  She also happily put up with the mess of making gingerbread houses each holiday season with the kids and grandkids. 

Delores was preceded in death by her husband Harry,  parents George and Myrna Bassett, brother Donald Bassett.  She is survived by children- Elaine (Gary) Alderink, Harriet (Richard) Suomala, and Wayne Koch (Kathy Hayen).  Grandchildren-Julie Alderink (Troy Fasching), Kristen (Chad) Nolan, April Alderink (Shane Rothstein) , Jessi (Jared) Rakness, Jon (Charice) Suomala, Jamie (Jessica) Koch, and Kim Koch and fourteen great grandchildren-Andrew, Hannah, Hunter, Emma, Zander, Bergan, Anja,  David, Matthew, Lucas, Ava, Kyle, Jerome and Jarius. Also surviving are nieces and nephews, aunts, uncle, brother-in-law and many cousins including special cousin, Albert Foust.

Funeral services are on Saturday, May 12th at St. John’s Lutheran Church at Kroschel, Rev. Michael Breach officiating.  Pallbearers are Jamie Koch, Jon Suomala, Jared Rakness, Troy Fasching, Chad Nolan and Shane Rothstein. Honorary pallbearers are Julie Alderink, Kristen Nolan, April Alderink, Jessi Rakness, and Kim Koch.

MEMORIAL SERVICE will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 11, 2012 at Zion Lutheran Church in Mora with Rev. Greggory Coop officiating.

MEMORIAL VISITATION will be held one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.

INURNMENT will be at Union Cemetery in Long Lake, Minnesota, at a later date.

Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran Church in Mora.

Ardis Louise Cirpinski, of Mora, MN died on Monday, May 7, 2012 at home. She was 71 years old.

Ardis was born on November 30th, 1940 to Beulah (Overby) and Jacob Cirpinski at Braham Community Hospital.  Ardis was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Mora.  She attended Lewis Lake Monroe Country School for six years and graduated in 1958 from Ogilvie High School.  After high school, her dream was to become a nurse but when her father passed away she contracted mono and she had to quit school.  Once she was better, she went to work at Erickson Petroleum Products in the Twin Cities.  After working there a while, she was convinced to go back to nursing school.  With renewed dreams of being a nurse, she attended Bethesda Lutheran College and graduated as a LPN in September 1968.  Ardis then worked at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park for a number of years.  Then she went back to school at Brainerd Nursing College, where she received her degree as an RN in 1981.  Feeling the need to move closer to home she found employment at Kanabec Hospital.  Ardis worked at Kanabec Hospital until she retired in the early 1990′s. 

Ardis loved to travel with her friends.  She enjoyed taking lots of pictures of her travels to Europe and across the United States.  Along with those pictures she also had lots of pictures of her nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews that she enjoyed taking.  Ardis devoted her life to nursing so she never married, but she never missed an opportunity to take the nieces and nephews and spoil them rotten.  Later in life she repeated this with her many great-nieces and great-nephews, even her great-great-niece and great-great-nephew.  When she wasn’t spoiling the children she was very involved in her church and loved to bake for anyone.  During her spare time at she was involved in various activities at Pine Crest Apartments, where she resided for 14 years.  

Ardis was preceded in death by her parents; sister Paulette Clark; step-brothers Stanley Cirpinski and Frederick Cirpinski; step-sister Barbra Curtis; brother-in-law Wallace Johnson; nephew Justin Clark; and twin-great-nieces Jessica and Jenae Johnson.  She is survived by sister Majal Johnson; brother-in-law Mike Clark; 2 nieces; 4 nephews; 20 great-nieces and nephews; and a great-great-niece and nephew. 

FUNERAL SERVICE will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mora with Fr. Eugene Plaisted officiating.

VISITATION will be from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 7, 2012 at Akkerman-Ingebrand Funeral Home in Mora and one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday.

INTERMENT will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Mora.

Henry Paul Helmbrecht, of Mora, passed away in Mora, MN on May 3, 2012.  He was 91 years old.  Henry was born on September 19, 1920 to Ludwig and Theresa (Leminger) Helmbrecht in Winsted, MN.  He attended country school through the eighth grade and worked on the family farm.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and was Honorably Discharged in late 1945.  On April 26, 1946, he married Marion Virginia Kyander and to this union six children were born; Jeff, Mike, Steve, Patricia, Wayne and Mari.  Henry and Marion divorced and on July 11, 1969 Henry married Elizabeth Carda in Mora and gained five step daughters.  Elizabeth passed away in 1989.

Through the years, Henry worked at farming, welding, fabricating and construction.  He worked at Blaw Knox, Midwest Welding, Arcon Construction and Fingerhut.  He also spent a year welding on the DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line System in Thule, Greenland in 1959.  Henry retired from Fingerhut in 1982.  He was a member of the American Legion and the Lion’s Club.  His hobbies included gardening, farming, hunting and attending birthday parties.  He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.  He was always ready to help family and friends and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Henry was preceded in death by his parents, seven brothers; Joe, Jack, Louie, Leonard, Al, Bill and George, two sisters; Katherine and Matilda, his first wife Marion and daughter Mari and second wife Elizabeth.  He is survived by children; Jeff (Karyl) Helmbrecht of Brook Park, Mike (Nancy) Helmbrecht of Mora, Steve (Genae) Helmbrecht of Johnson City, TN, Patricia (Dave) Helmbrecht of Roseville and Wayne (Debbra) Helmbrecht of Brook Park, grandchildren; Shari (Tim) Olson, Joe Helmbrecht, Staci (Jason) Norby, Tyna (Scott) Dohman, Mike (Josie) Helmbrecht Jr., Sam (Cindy) Helmbrecht, Angela Helmbrecht, Steve Helmbrecht, Beth (Sam) Shieh, Mary Helmbrecht, Hannah Afwerki, Scott Helmbrecht, Heather (Logan) Helmbrecht and Molly Helmbrecht, seventeen great grandchildren, extended family; Barb Udean of Finlayson, Sharon (Patrick) Brensnahan of Blaine, JoAnn Anderson of Osceola Wis., Rosemary (Ken) Nelson of Brook Park, brothers; Andrew, Ben, Ed and Isadore.  Many nieces, nephews and friends also survive.

Funeral Services were held Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at St. Mary Catholic Church with Reverend Gene Plaisted officiating.  Music was provided by Patty Paul, Logan Bever and the St. Mary’s Choir.  Pallbearers were Joe Helmbrecht, Staci Norby, Mike Helmbrecht Jr., Tyna Dohman, Scott Helmbrecht and Molly Helmbrecht.  Honorary Pallbearers were Shari Olson, Sam Helmbrecht, Angela Helmbrecht, Steve Helmbrecht, Beth Shieh, Mary Helmbrecht, Hannah Afwerki and Heather Helmbrecht.  Military Honors were provided by the Mora American Legion Post #201.  Interment was at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Mora.  Arrangements were made by Akkerman – Ingebrand Funeral Home of Mora, MN.

MEMORIAL SERVICE will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 3, 2012 at the Siloa Lutheran Church of rural Braham with Pastor Del Schanidt officiating.

VISITATION will be held from 5-7 pm on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at the Rock Ingebrand Funeral Home of Braham.  A memorial visitation will be held 1 hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.

At 67 years young, our mom has gone home to help tend the gardens in Heaven and to help take care of God’s animals.  Muriel was a highly spiritual person who was at peace with where she was in life.  Throughout her hardship with her Rheumatoid Arthritis, her spirit was always a beacon of light and the reassurance we will miss.  There is simply no substitute for a mother’s love.
Those of you, who really knew her, knew that she was more outgoing than most all of us here put together.  She danced on Dance Fever in the early television days, used to sell homemade perfume door to door as a child, played her Elvis records in the basement in the 50’s and kept up with the fashion trends of the 1960’s .  Mom was great at making homemade hamburgers and “malted milks”(as she called them) every Friday night for us kids as we were growing up.  Her spirit never failed even in her later years when she loved flying with Wayne up high in the sky in his powered parachute “flying machine”. She loved adventure. Later in life, she enjoyed her freedom being able to do whatever she pleased and she liked it that way.
She was known for taking in strays of all kinds, both kids and animals, and opening her heart to help them in any way possible.  For this, she really was an Angel to many here on earth.  She would tell us that we could do anything at all – and we did.  Her talents were amazing including owning an upholstery business, being a successful teddy bear artist, producing beautiful paintings, designing jewelry and stained glass.  If you told her that she couldn’t do it – she would prove you wrong 100%.  She could outwork both of us kids put together and never complained about herself.  She was game for any travel at any time and had been to England and the Caribbean.  She loved her family foremost, her animals, the outdoors and her freedom.  One of her sayings that she loved was “All those who wander, are not lost…”  
You see, it is not what you hold in your hand by degrees or jobs that matters in this lifetime or how much money you have, how high or low you live on the hill but rather it is what type of impact you have on another person’s life by the deeds you’ve done and words you’ve said.  Muriel loved ice cream, saying that it wasn’t food, it was medicine.  So as you enjoy your ice cream following the service today, please think of Muriel’s “medicine” being her love and acceptance, knowing that she would want you to remember the good times in her life and to move forward giving back to those you care about in your own life. Family comes first, the rest doesn’t matter.

MEMORIAL SERVICES will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Braham Covenant Church with Rev. Steve Jennisch officiating.

MEMORIAL VISITATION will be held 1 hour prior to the service

INURNMENT will be in the North Maple Ridge Cemetery of Braham.

Arthur “Art” Ford, age 93, of Braham, passed away February 28, 2012, at GracePointe Crossing Gables West of Cambridge. He was 93 years old.
Art was born in Pierce County, North Dakota on November 12, 1918, and in that same year he moved with his family to Braham, Minnesota where his parents owned a farm in North Maple Ridge. He enjoyed attending sports event, playing softball, and hunting and fishing. Bowling was one of his favorite activities and he traveled with his bowling team to many tournaments. Art worked as a school bus driver, auto mechanic and at the auto parts store in Cambridge. He volunteered delivering meals through the Meals on Wheels program in Braham, and he maintained the cemetery and church in North Maple Ridge. He enjoyed history and literature and he read many books and periodicals.
Art was part of the community at Elmhurst Commons Apartments in Braham for the last few years and he lived in the Braham area all of his life.
He was preceded in death by his parent’s Grace and William Ford, his sister Lillian Lind and his brother Henry Ford.
Art is survived by his sisters Dorothy Ford, Florence Nordenstrom, and Irene Galbrecht; eight nieces and nephews Cynthia Larrey, Kathryn (Jake) Dowell, Thomas (Denise) Nordenstrom, Yvonne (Dennis) Pfeifer, Dale (Carla) Nordenstrom, Holly Galbrecht, John Galbrecht, and Carl Galbrecht; and many other relatives and friends.

MEMORIAL SERVICE will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, April 23, 2012 at the Braham Evangelical Lutheran Church with Rev. Rich Chronis officiating.

MEMORIAL VISITATION will be held from 3:00-6:00 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012 at the Rock Ingebrand Funeral Home in Braham and one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.

INURNMENT will be at 11:30 am Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Assembly Area 2.

Herman F. Aune, age 85, of Cambridge, formerly of Braham, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 19, 2012 at Abbott Hospital.
Herman F. Aune was born October 30, 1926 to Ole and Bertina Aune at the family farm in Underwood, MN. He graduated from Underwood High School, and then was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served in Germany during the occupation. When he returned home, he attended Augsburg College where he graduated in 1950 with a major in music and history. He began teaching in Hoffman, MN. In the fall of 1951, he moved to Braham and began teaching. He taught in the Braham school district as a band, choir, and history teacher. He retired after 37 years. Herman directed the Braham Evangelical Lutheran Church choir for 40 years. He also loved spending time with his family, fishing, reading, gardening, and crossword puzzles.
On June 6, 1953, Herman married the love of his life, Jerrie A. Gustafson in Braham, MN. Herman and Jerrie resided in Braham where they raised 6 children. In 2000, they moved to Riverhills in Cambridge, Minnesota.
Herman is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Ole III, Ruth, Esther, Edith, Richard, and Wilfred.
He is survived by his wife, Jerrie, and children: Eric (Judy) Aune of Norwood Young America, MN; John (Rebecca) Aune of Bedford, TX; Rebecca (Justin) Aune of Minneapolis, MN; Kathy (Jim) Wade of Bolton, MA; Caroline (Virgil) Lindstrom of Cambridge, MN; and Dan (Kim) Aune of St. Louis Park, MN; grandchildren: Jaron (fiancé Liz) Aune, Ben (Lindsey) Aune, Betsy (Tommy) Blank, Jenni Aune, Kirsten (Nolan) Radford, Nate (Laura) Aune, Chelsea (Jason) Rojo, Emelia Lindstrom, Rachel (Robert) Lahr, Andrew Wade, Alee Wade, Sonja Aune, Arick Wade, Abigail Wade, Megan Aune, Nick Aune, Natalie Aune; one great-grandchild; sister-in-law Elaine Aune; as well as many nieces, nephews, and friends.

FUNERAL SERVICE will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, April 23, 2012 at the First Presbyterian Church of Mora with Rev. Duane Fowler officiating.

VISITATION will be from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, 2012 at Akkerman-Ingebrand Funeral Home in Mora and one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.

INTERMENT was at Oakwood Cemetery in Mora.

Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church in Mora.

Minnie Folkema was born November 6, 1911 in a log home in Bozeman, Montana to William and Grace (Siebenza) Weidenaar.  Because she was the oldest of ten children, she was always her dad’s “right hand”.  Minnie could “hitch up” the horses at such a young age that she had to stand on a box to do it.  Before she was 10 years old Minnie could drive horses to do everything needed in the field, from plowing to harvest.  When she was 6 years old they traveled by train to Parkersburg, Iowa, and her dad rode in the box car with the horses.  At 12 years old, the family moved to Owatonna, Minnesota and from there to Pease, Minnesota.  On March 28, 1934 Minnie was united in marriage to Dick Folkema at her parent’s home in Long Siding, Minnesota.  To this union six children were born.  Dick and Minnie moved a few different times before settling on a farm in Brunswick Township that they owned for about 60 years.  In between they moved to Minneapolis where Minnie worked as a wire bender at Parkers Products for three years and then as a fry cook at the Flour Exchange cafeteria for another three years.  Then they moved back to Mora where Minnie was a fry cook for five years at Dibbo’s.  They eventually settled back on the farm and built a new home.  It was at this time they started doing janitorial work for the Kanabec State Bank (17 years) and Mora City Hall (12 years).  They lived there 19 years when Dick passed away in August 1990.  Minnie continued to live there another 6 years, during which time she survived esophageal cancer, before moving into town in 1996.

Minnie was in her glory when she could embroider dishtowels and pillowcases for the kids and grandkids.  Sometimes, she would have fun
hiding cash gifts in those dishtowels.  She enjoyed picking strawberries, gardening, patching clothes, canning, cooking/baking, loved farming and animals.  She just loved hard, fast work!

She was full of love for her family, friends and everyone!  Minnie was always there for her family!  She always had an “open door” policy and time for coffee.  No one ever left her home hungry and, if you did, it was your own fault.

Minnie is survived by son John (Kathy) Folkema of Braha; daughters Grace (Larry) Kleven of Eden Prairie, Elsie (Ronnie) Johnson of Maple Grove, and Donna (Jim) Spangberg of Savage; former daughter in-law Dorothy Jean Folkema; 12 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren.  Also surviving is brother Elkie Weidenaar, sisters Anna Osterdyk, Grace Lundeen and Jenny Hanson, many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Minnie is preceded in death by husband Dick Folkema, son William and a stillborn son; parents William & Grace Weidenaar, sisters Bertha Bahlman, Hattie Akkerman, Lucy Weidenaar, Lena Stenstrom; brother Johnny Weidenaar.

May the Lord Bless her memory.

Funeral services were held on Monday, April 23^rd at First Presbyterian Church in Mora with Rev. Duane Fowler officiating.  Music was provided by Becky Fladebo, Rev. Bob DeYoung, Rev. Duane and Robbie Fowler. 
Pallbearers were Joanne Nelson, Joyce Keller, Jerome Folkema, Jimmy
Folkema, Joey Folkema, Jill Folkema, Jeff Folkema, Scott Spangberg, Julie Dunn, Sherry Ernster, Shelly Dahl and Andrea Croaston. Interment was at Oakwood Cemetery in Mora. 

FUNERAL SERVICE will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the St. Paul Lutheran Chruch of Ogilvie with Rev. Marc Freiberg officiating.

VISITATION will be one hour prior to the service at the church.

INTERMENT will be in the Borgholm Cemetery of Bock.

Memorials are preferred in lieu of flowers.

Loraine Mildred Koch was born in Milaca, Minnesota on October 27, 1916 to Thekla (Ortengren) and Joseph Smith.  A few years later the family moved to Bock, Minnesota, and then to South Fork township, where she attended school. She was baptized and confirmed on October 12, 1930 by Pastor H.E. Seiving at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ogilvie, Minnesota.  She remained a member of St. Paul until the time of her death.

After her school days she worked in St. Paul, Minnesota until November 1939.  On December 21, 1940 she was united in marriage to Carl Koch at St. Paul Lutheran Church by Pastor H.E. Seiving.  They had two children; Richard and Karleen.

She was an active member of St. Paul’s Ladies Aid for 55 years; she taught Sunday school and Vacation Bible School, was a helper with the children’s choir, and was a member of the senior choir.  She was a member of the Ogilvie VFW Women’s Auxiliary, a member of Ogilvie Fire Flies, and worked on the Commission of Aging for Ogilvie and Mora until she had to resign in 1985 because of her husband’s illness.

After her husband passed away, she moved to Pine Crest apartment in Mora.  She volunteered for some years at the Mora Senior Dining Sight.  She had many dear friends at Pine Crest; loved playing cards and joined in all the activities there.  She remained at Pine Crest until 2009 when she moved to the Villages of Mora and later to St. Clare Living Community.

Loraine was preceded in death by her husband, Carl; daughter, Karleen Ringey; mother, Thekla Herren; stepfather, John Herren; three brothers: Leonard, Kenneth and Arthur Smith; three stepsisters: Ione Krinke, Blanche Gadola, Edna Schmidkunz; two stepbrothers, Al and Vern Herren; daughter-in-law, Barbara Koch.

She is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Katherine Koch of Mora; son-in-law Kenneth Ringey of Blaine; grandchildren: Wade Koch, Angela Bartels, Chad Koch, Kevin Ringey, Karla Rud; sixteen great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; cousin, Richard Ortengren of Florida; several nieces, nephews; other friends and relatives.

Funeral Services were held on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the St. Paul Lutheran Church of Ogilvie with Rev. Marc Freiberg officiating.  Music was provided by Deb Menze.  Casket Bearers were Wade Koch, Angela Bartels, Chad Koch, Kevin Ringey, and Karla Rud. Interment was in the Borgholm Cemetery in Bock, Minnesota.

MEMORIAL SERVICE will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Zion Lutheran Church of Mora with Rev. Greggory Coop officiating.

MEMORIAL VISITATION will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.

INURNMENT will be at the Oakwood Cemetery in Mora.

Memorials preferred in honor of Mary Lou to the Zion Lutheran Church of Mora

Mary Lou Mattson was born on October 30, 1926 at Dr. Bossert’s Hospital in Mora, MN, the fourth child of Maurice LeFebvre and Dolly Meginness.  She grew up in Mora and attended Mora High School, graduating in 1944.  After high school, she was employed in the accounting department at Dayton’s Department Store in Minneapolis, MN for several years.  On January 31, 1949 she was united in marriage to Merlin Mattson in Harmony, MN.  To this union three sons were born.  They lived briefly in Minneapolis, Isle and Milaca, MN.  In 1953 Mary Lou moved back to Mora with her three boys. 

She was a homemaker and also worked for the Kanabec County Public Health and at the Senior Federation as a secretary.  She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and the Mora American Legion Auxiliary.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Maurice and Dolly LeFebvre; one sister, Betty Larson and two brothers, Maurice (Moe) and Robert LeFebvre.

She is survived by her three sons Merle, Mark (Jane) and Paul (Jean) Mattson all of Mora; brother-in-law Martin Larson of St. Peter, MN; niece Laurie Rabe of Kroschel, MN; nephews Joe (Susan) Larson of Kennewick, WA and Bill (Kathy) Larson of Littleton, CO; grandchildren Stacy, Andrea and Tom; great grandchildren Zachary and Carter.