Dorothy LaValley

Dorothy LaValley, 89, of Bemidji, died Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, at the North Country Regional Hospital in Bemidji.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji with the Rev. Kent Dudley officiating. A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Cease Family Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service. Burial following cremation will be held in the summer, at the Calvary Cemetery in Bemidji.

The pallbearers will be Jason LaValley, Davey Mills, Cale Mills, Shawn Reinarz, Ricky Jacobson, Lee LaValley, DuWayne LaValley and Daniel Schubbe.

Honorary pallbearers will be Pete Bender, Frank Bender, Tony Jacobson, Brandon Olson, Christopher Olson and Kelly Reinarz.

She was born April 30, 1920, to Reynold and Jenny (Coder) O’Neil in Windom, Minn. She was raised and educated in Nimrod and Sebeka. She graduated from Sebeka High School. She loved music, received voice lessons and was the lead in two operettas in high school. After high school she worked in the mill in International Falls. She married Gene Peters, and together they had a daughter. They later divorced. She married Carl LaValley and together they had eight children. She raised her children, and worked at home on the farm. She also worked outside the home, sometimes having three jobs at a time. She worked in nursing homes, hospitals, retail stores, and manufacturing factories. She retired at the age of 65. She was a longtime member of the VFW and the American Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed bowling, reading, gardening, canning, and music.

She is survived by herchildren, Peggy (Elroy) Olson of Northome and Robert (Brenda) LaValley of River Falls, Wis., Richard (Patti) LaValley of Pittsburg, Calif., Ronald (Bonnie) LaValley of Brainerd, Patsy (Larry) Mills of Bemidji, Penny Moe of Bemidji, Roger (Julie) LaValley of Bemidji, Pamela (Dennis) Schubbe of Aurora, Minn., Paulette (Brendan) Neylon of Nevada City, Calif.; foster son, Delbert (Sandy) Holman of Gemmel, Minn., 20 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Jack O’Neil.

Memorials are preferred to The Disabled American Veterans.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bemidji with the Rev. Kent Dudley officiating. A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Cease Family Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service. Burial following cremation will be held in the summer, at the Calvary Cemetery in Bemidji.

The pallbearers will be Jason LaValley, Davey Mills, Cale Mills, Shawn Reinarz, Ricky Jacobson, Lee LaValley, DuWayne LaValley and Daniel Schubbe.

Honorary pallbearers will be Pete Bender, Frank Bender, Tony Jacobson, Brandon Olson, Christopher Olson and Kelly Reinarz.

She was born April 30, 1920, to Reynold and Jenny (Coder) O’Neil in Windom, Minn. She was raised and educated in Nimrod and Sebeka. She graduated from Sebeka High School. She loved music, received voice lessons and was the lead in two operettas in high school. After high school she worked in the mill in International Falls. She married Gene Peters, and together they had a daughter. They later divorced. She married Carl LaValley and together they had eight children. She raised her children, and worked at home on the farm. She also worked outside the home, sometimes having three jobs at a time. She worked in nursing homes, hospitals, retail stores, and manufacturing factories. She retired at the age of 65. She was a longtime member of the VFW and the American Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed bowling, reading, gardening, canning, and music.

She is survived by herchildren, Peggy (Elroy) Olson of Northome and Robert (Brenda) LaValley of River Falls, Wis., Richard (Patti) LaValley of Pittsburg, Calif., Ronald (Bonnie) LaValley of Brainerd, Patsy (Larry) Mills of Bemidji, Penny Moe of Bemidji, Roger (Julie) LaValley of Bemidji, Pamela (Dennis) Schubbe of Aurora, Minn., Paulette (Brendan) Neylon of Nevada City, Calif.; foster son, Delbert (Sandy) Holman of Gemmel, Minn., 20 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Jack O’Neil.

Memorials are preferred to The Disabled American Veterans.

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