Duane B. Shea Duane B. Shea, age 82 of Walnut Grove passed away Saturday, June 27, 2009 at the Sanford Tracy Medical Center following a long illness. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 1 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Walnut Grove. Visitation will be 5:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Walnut Grove Funeral Home with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday. Interment is in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Walnut Grove. The Walnut Grove Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be sent at www.walnutgrovefuneralhome.com Duane Shea was born November 14, 1926 at Lime Creek, MN to Emmit and Mary (Hogan) Shea. He was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith, and attended country school at Lime Creek. On April 7, 1948 Duane was united in marriage to Virene Knakmuhs at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Walnut Grove. Duane served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper during WWII. He worked his whole life as a welder, farmer, and tree trimmer. Duane loved gardening, and could fix anything. He was a member of the Westbrook VFW and the Lake Benton American Legion. Duane spent his time playing Pinochle and King’s Corners, and loved making wooden toys and jewelry boxes. Duane is survived by his wife Virene of 61 years of Walnut Grove;
children: Shirley (Gary) Serie of Lake Benton, MN, Bernard (Becky)
Shea of Alexandria, MN, and Donald Shea of Spring Lake Park, MN;
son-in-laws Bruce Fox of Marshall, MN, and Denis VanDeWiele of Katy,
TX; 7 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; brother Emery (Agnes)
Shea of Morris, MN; and sister-in-law Fidilis Shea of Benson, MN.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughters Nancy VanDeWiele
and Barbara Fox; brother Ambrose Shea; and sister Leonessa Olson. |