Lucille E Carlson

Lucille (Lucy) Ellen Carlson, age 78, of Ely, MN passed away on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at the Boundary Waters Care Center.  She was born on June 9, 1943 in Duluth, MN to Waino and Vieno (Simola) Walkama. She spent her youth on the family homestead in Makinen and graduated from Cotton High School in 1956 as valedictorian. 
 Not long after graduation she married Bob Carlson and moved to New York and started her family.  A few years later they moved back to the Iron Range, living in Aurora and finally settling in Tower-Soudan.  After raising her children, now single, she went on to continue her education in business and the majority of her working career was spent as a professional seamstress, owning her own business in Virginia and Ely.  If she could not sew it, you probably didn’t need it!  Her specialty custom sewing included draperies and wedding gowns. She worked as a cook in a number of different restaurants and hand addressed cards for Irresistible Ink in Ely.
 After moving to Ely in 1994, Lucy joined the Ely Presbyterian Church in 1995 where she served as elder and clerk of the session. She trained as a lay pastor, and served on many “tech” weekends working with teenagers. Her passions included travel, photography, knitting, gardening, music, cooking, golf and crossword puzzles.  One of her biggest joys was knitting “baby socks” and delivering them to hospitals for newborn babies. She lived a faith-driven life and in the process touched the hearts of many people.
 She will be lovingly remembered by her children: Robert Carlson of Riverton, WY, Martin (Jayme) Carlson of Helena, MT and Julie (Bob) Petrusha of Aurora, MN; four grandchildren:Zachary (Caitlyn Burak) Hillman of Ironwood, MI, Allison (Larry) Hillman-Meskill of Babbitt, MN, Eric Carlson of Portland, OR and Garrett Carlson of Helena, MT; and six great-grandsons; sisters: Elsie (Melvin) Tapio of Aurora, MN, Christine Trenholm of Virginia, MN, and Donna (Emil) Jalonen of White Bear Lake, MN; as well as numerous other relatives and friends.  Lucy was preceded in death by her parents and great-grandson Aiden Meskill. 
 Celebration of  her life will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 2 p.m. at Ely Presbyterian Church  Fellowship will follow at the church.  Memorials preferred to the Ely Presbyterian Church. Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.
 

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