Mary Louella Offner (Arneson Houle), age 77, of Hudson, Wisconsin, passed away in the early morning of June 21, 2012 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. This comes shortly after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Mary was born on June 14, 1935 to Daniel and Julia (Bartlette) Houle in Leroy, North Dakota. She grew up in Leroy where she met Orville Arneson. The two were married and settled in St Paul, Minnesota. In the early 60’s, the Arneson family made Roberts, Wisconsin their home. The marriage would be blessed with six children. Later on, the marriage dissolved. Some years later, Mary met Lee Offner. Eventually, the two were united in marriage in Aberdeen, South Dakota and have resided in Hudson ever since.
Mary took on many roles in her life. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and even a great-grandmother. With her family she enjoyed trips, shopping and just spending time together. Mary was also an accomplished cook. She started her cooking career at LaBon’s Truck Stop and then the Hudson Harbor. She cooked for a time at the Sports Club before finally working more than 20 years at Dibbo’s. Anyone who had the pie or meatloaf at Dibbo’s got to experience a sample of her cooking. She also cooked for her families tending to plan her meals around dessert. This included cookies, cakes, cheesecakes and any other sweets one could imagine. When she wasn’t in the kitchen, you could find her in her flower garden. She enjoyed growing and sharing her beautiful flowers with friends and family. She could make friends wherever she went and was always up for a conversation and a cup of coffee.
Mary is survived by her; husband, Lee; children, George Arneson of Colorado, David (Shirley) Arneson of Hammond, WI, Dennis (Dorothy) Arneson of Eau Claire, WI, Linda (Larry B) Arneson of Roberts, WI and Eddie Arneson of Roberts, WI; step-children, Tracey Wicks of Connecticut and Tab (Donna) Offner of North Hudson, WI; 14 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; 3 sisters, many other relatives and friends and her Shih Tzu Samantha.
She is preceded in death by her; parents, daughter, LouAnn, and 6 sisters and brothers.
A celebration of Mary’s life will be held from 4-8pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson, Wisconsin. The night will end with a short prayer service and time of remembrance. Burial will be held privately at a later date. Services are in the care of the O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Countryside Crematory – Hudson, Wisconsin. 715.386.3725