The Park Bugle prints obituaries free of charge as a service to our communities. Send information about area deaths to Mary Mergenthal at mary.mergenthal@gmail.com or call 651-644-1650.
Patricia Lovdahl
Patricia L. Lovdahl, 77, of Falcon Heights, died Nov. 24, 2018. She was born Jan. 12, 1941, to Robert and Frances (McKilligan) Wells.
She is survived by her daughter Kristine (Douglas) Visel and son Erik (Lisa) Lovdahl; four grandchildren; and brother Michael Wells. She is preceded in death by her husband James and her parents.
A memorial service was held Dec. 7 at Roseville Memorial Chapel, with interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
Joan Mason
Joan Shirley (Overson) Mason, 93, of Falcon Heights, died Nov. 29, 2018.
She was born to Thurman and Agnes (Salhus) Overson on June 30, 1925, in Clarkfield, Minn., and soon moved with her family to Minneapolis.
While attending Central High during WWII, she sang with a trio called the Yankee Doodlettes to sell war bonds. She met her future husband, Homer Eugene “Gene” Mason, while attending St. Olaf College, where she earned a BA in 1947. They married in 1948 and were the parents of five children.
Joan and Gene provided a loving home and plenty of adventure for their children with annual camping trips to the Rockies and Tetons, summer weeks at the family cabin on Lake Minnewaska, and sabbaticals in Guilford, Conn., and Oxford, England.
Joan’s love of travel continued throughout her life, expanding to include many trans-oceanic crossings. She and her husband were known for their gatherings, welcoming friends, colleagues, and students into their home. When they moved into University Grove in 1971, they developed a close-knit group of friends with whom they shared a rich social life through nearly five decades.
Joan was passionate about music and reading. She sang in the St. Olaf Choir, the Bach Society, and the St. Matthew’s choir. She loved to play classical and jazz piano. On long drives, Joan helped pass the time by singing with her children, who learned many folk, spiritual and popular songs from her.
Joan earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of Minnesota in 1968 and worked as an elementary school librarian in the St. Paul Schools for the next two decades. After her retirement in 1990, she volunteered for several years at the Minnesota Historical Society. One of Joan’s greatest joys was her book club, which still meets after 30 years.
Joan is survived by her children John (Susan Davies), Austerlitz, N.Y.; Chris (Ann), Baltimore, Md.; Karen (Matt Schaefer), Iowa City, Iowa; Martha Mason Miller, Falcon Heights; and Tom (Whitney), Nashville, Tenn.; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Joan was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Gene, and her three sisters, Carmen Thompson, Audrey Donhowe, and Elizabeth Donofrio.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, St. Anthony Park. Memorials may be made payable to St. Matthew’s Church Music Ministry, Iowa Women’s Archives (University of Iowa), or Second Harvest Heartland.
Bernadette Mennie
Bernadette “Bunny” E. Mennie, 75, of Lauderdale, died Nov. 28.
She was preceded in death by her husband Michael; parents, Edna and Joseph Maznio; sister Joanne; brothers, Eugene and Joseph Jr. She is survived by her son Michael (Sheila), two grandchildren, and siblings, Kay, Tommy and Gloria.
Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Dec. 4 at Washburn-McReavy Hillside Chapel.
Roger Skone
Roger Skone, 89, of Como Park, died Nov. 9. He grew up in Cushing, Wis., and graduated from St. Croix Falls High School. He was an active member of Como Park Lutheran Church and a volunteer at Lyngblomsten Care Center.
Skone is survived by his wife Sheila; two sons, Craig (Barb) and Timothy; two grandchildren; sister Millicent Wallace; and brother Ron (Rita). He was preceded in death by his son Brian in 2008 and his parents, Abe and Gladys Skone. A memorial service was held Nov. 16 at Como Park Lutheran Church, with interment at Elmhurst Cemetery.
Memorials preferred to Como Park Lutheran Church or the American Diabetes Association.
