Lucille M Dolan

Lucille M. Dolan, 89, of Grafton, ND and Mesa, AZ, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on January 15, 2014 at Valley Eldercare Center in Grand Forks, ND. Lucille was born August 12, 1924 in St. Boniface, Manitoba, the daughter of Origene and Charlotte (Baillargeon) Lacerte. She was educated in St. Boniface. Lucille married Eugene Dolan on April 19, 1949, in St. Boniface, and they lived and farmed in the Oakwood, ND area for many years. While raising her family, she was active in her Homemakers Club and the Sacred Heart Altar Society. Lucille was an accomplished seamstress and knitter. She volunteered with a Salvation Army quilting ministry for the homeless in the Phoenix, Arizona area, and knitted over 1,500 stocking caps to accompany the quilts they made. She also volunteered at Banner Baywood Hospital in Mesa and with the Unity Hospital Auxiliary in Grafton, embroidering items for the fall bazaar. Lucille enjoyed entertaining and was well known for hosting an annual St. Patrick's Day party for extended family and a wide circle of friends at her winter home in Mesa. Although she did not have a drop of Irish blood in her, she proudly wore an IBM (Irish by Marriage) button at her parties. During her winters in Arizona for the past several years, she also enjoyed teaching conversational French to a dear family friend, Ron Gourde. She had a great sense of humor and touched the lives of many people. Lucille is survived by her five children: Tom (Avis) Dolan, Fargo, ND, Patsy (Orell) Demers, St. Paul, MN, Mary Lou (Mark) Walker, Fargo, ND, Connie (Mark) Kolodziej, Hastings, MN, Ron (Nadine) Dolan, Gilbert, AZ, eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Jack (Thea) Dolan, Santa Rosa, CA; sisters-in-law: Dorothy (Bill) Stevenson, Gualala, CA, Jeanette (Hilary, deceased) Osowski, Grafton, ND, Judy (Donald, deceased) Dolan, Fargo, ND, and Aline (Bruno, deceased) Lacerte, Calgary, Alberta, and many nieces and nephews. Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, an infant son, James Patrick, her parents, her sister, Charlotte Codville, her brothers, Charles Lacerte and Bruno Lacerte, and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. Mass of Christian burial will be Monday, January 20, 2014 at 10:30 A.M. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. Visitation will be Sunday from 5-7 PM with a prayer service at 7:00 PM at the Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton. Friends may also call at the church on Monday for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Oakwood, ND.