Ivolue Mae Takkunen, age 89, passed away on Friday, November 11, 2016 in Hudson, Wisconsin. Current resident of Woodland Hill in Hudson, formerly of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Ivolue “Ivy” Evans was born December 6, 1926 in Saint Paul to Norma and Roscoe Evans. She was born a fighter, arriving 3 months premature and barely weighing 3 pounds. She was so tiny, her first few months she slept in a shoe box. Ivy was the fourth of five Evans children. Her brothers Roscoe “Sonny” and Robert “Spike”; sisters Virginia “Sis” and Mary Ann.
Ivy and her siblings grew up in Saint Paul where her family owned a corner grocery store near the Fairgrounds on Como Avenue. The family lived above the store and everyone pitched in with operating the store during the lean years of the depression. When Ivy was 4 years old she contracted polio. She was quarantined and only her mother was able to enter her room for several months. She was forced to learn how to walk again, and went on to live a long and happy life.
Ivy met Edwin “Ed” Takkunen from Ely, Minnesota in Portland, Oregon. At that time, Ivy was working for Tektronix and Ed was working in the travel industry. They were married on May 15, 1957 in Portland. The newly married couple moved to Seattle, Washington, where their first son Daniel was born on November 24, 1958. Three years later, their second son James was born on March 7, 1962. In 1962 they decided to establish roots in Minnesota to raise their boys and to be near family.
Ivy went back into the workplace when her boys were in elementary school. She worked as a keypunch operator at 3M, and later went on to become a bookkeeper at Hillcrest Travel and Somerset Travel.
Ivy had many talents and hobbies. She was an artist and created many beautiful pastel drawings that were displayed throughout her home. She also knitted and enjoyed cross stitch. Quilting and sewing was her passion. She made many of her own clothes, as well as children’s costumes and doll clothes for her granddaughter Alison. She was so excited to finally have a girl to sew for.
She loved her Trinity Lutheran quilting friends and went on quilting retreats with them. She made many beautiful quilts which will be cherished by her family and friends forever.
When Dan married Traci, Ivolue instantly became part of her family too. She is loved and adored by all of the Hansen family, now and always. I’m sure there will be long discussions at Thanksgiving this year and years to come about who will make the dressing, because no one could make it like Ivy!
Ivolue was preceded in death by her loving husband Edwin and by her parents, Norma and Roscoe Evans, her brothers Roscoe and Robert Evans and her sister Mary Ann Eiynck.
Ivolue is survived by her son Daniel and his wife Traci; grandson Reese and grandaughter Alison; son James, grandson Joseph and wife Elyse; grandson Anthony and his wife Jessica; and great-grandchildren Shawn and Nevaeh. Ivolue is also survived by her sister Virginia Burrows and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
The family would like to thank the medical and care professionals who took excellent care of Ivy over these difficult months. This includes the staff at Hudson Hospital, Regions Hospital, Christian Community Home, and Woodland Hill.
A visitation will be held from 4:30-8:00 PM on Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1205 Sixth St., Hudson. The Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, November 16, 2016, also at the church, with a visitation one hour prior to the service at church. Interment at Oakland Cemetery in St. Paul, MN. Memorials preferred to the family with any donations going towards Joe Takkunen’s battle with cancer.