Mildred "Millie" Mae Vehanen

December 24, 1925 - December 24, 2014

Millie Mae (Klawitter) Vehanen, age 89, of Dassel, died December 24, 2014, at her residence. A funeral service will be held on Monday, December 29, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Dassel with the Rev. Steven Olson officiating. There will be a visitation on Sunday evening from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel and a one hour prior to the service on Monday at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church. Millie Mae (Klawitter) Vehanen, the daughter of Herman and Ida (Polchow) Klawitter was born on December 24, 1925, in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Millie grew up in Hutchinson and was baptized on January 3, 1926, at Zion Lutheran Church in Hutchinson and was confirmed on March 17, 1941, at Peace Lutheran Church in Hutchinson. Millie attended the West Lynn School District 20 and graduated from the Hutchinson High School in 1943. On March 11, 1945, Millie was united in marriage to Donald Vehanen. Together they made their home on Donald's family farm on the south shore of Swan Lake in rural Dassel. Together they farmed and raised their five children. Millie had also been employed at Fabri-Tek in Cokato, Green Giant Canning in Cokato and DeKalb Hatchery in Dassel. Millie was an active member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church where she was a member of the WELCA, quilted, taught Sunday school and was on the church library board. She was a foster grandparent at the Dassel Elementary for many children and was fondly called "Grandma Millie". She volunteered at the Dassel Lakeside Nursing Home for several years. Millie loved to play cards and could often be found playing cards either at the Dassel Historical Center or at Edgewood Gables in Cokato. She enjoyed crocheting and had made many afghans and rugs for family and friends. She loved to read, garden, canning, making pickles, baking, cooking and decorating for holidays and special events. Millie loved to have family over and was always proud of her family. She was active with her children and grandchildren's activities. Millie would make a cake for her grandchildren and friends to enjoy. She enjoyed getting together for a cup of coffee and always would make Swedish egg coffee at home. Millie will be missed by her family and her many friends. She is survived by her children, Patsy (John) Isaacson of Dassel, Kerry Sustak of Kennesaw, Georgia, Wendy Vehanen of Waukesha, Wisconsin, Becky (Steve) Nelson of Dassel, and Jerome Vehanen of Dassel, eight grandchildren, Sarah Graham, Susan Isaacson Zimney, Christine Schott, David Isaacson, Adam Sustak, Nicholas Nelson, Erin Kamm, and Ashley Olson, twelve great grandchildren, and a sister, Eleanor (Leonard) Kaminsky of Hutchinson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald, parents, Herman and Ida Klawitter, two brothers, Oliver and Ronald Klawitter, and two sisters, Esther Harms of Glencoe, and Gertrude Krook of New Brighton.