Dorothy E. O'Neil

Dorothy Emma O'Neil
DOROTHY E. ONEIL, age 92 formerly of Waseca, died on Sunday, June 19, 2016 at Reflections in Northfield.
Dorothy was born October 7, 1923, in Waseca County to Carl W. Helms and Katherine Enzenauer Helms.  She was baptized at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Meriden in 1923 by Rev. Carl Harr and confirmed there by Rev. John Voelk in 1937.  She attended school at District 3716 Steele/Waseca County and also Owatonna High School.  During World War II she worked at E. F. Johnson Co. in Waseca.  After the War she married Dallas ONeil at St. Pauls on November 15, 1945.  Dorothy and Dallas farmed in rural Meriden and Waseca County for fifteen years and moved to Waseca in 1960.  While living in Waseca she worked at Coast to Coast Hardware, Therings Variety, and Birds Eye Foods.  She was employed in food service at Waseca Public Schools for seventeen years until retiring from there.  Dorothy enjoyed gardening, quilting at St. Johns Lutheran, and attending sports and other activities of her children and grandchildren. Dorothy and Dallas liked to go on drives through the countryside, visiting, and keeping in touch with grandchildren.  They especially enjoyed a couples card club that lasted more than fifty years. She was a member of St. Johns Women of the Evangelical Church and the VFW Auxiliary in Waseca.  She lived at Colony Court for a time and was at the Northfield Long Term Care Center in recent years. Her greatest joy in life was her family, and she continued to keep in touch via telephone with many friends and neighbors when she could no longer visit them in person.
She is survived by her children:  Karen (James) Nesius, Lake Park, MN; Patricia (Frank) Demonte, Grayslake, IL; James (Janis) ONeil, Faribault, MN; Jon (Vicky) ONeil, Waseca, MN; Daniel ONeil, Dundas, MN; Michael (Judy) ONeil, Waseca, MN; Timothy (Karen) ONeil, New Ulm, MN.  She is also survived by her grand-children:  Robert (Michelle) Nesius, Beaverton, OR;  Samuel (Annette) Nesius, Fargo, ND; Tony (Kelli) DeMonte, Gages Lake, IL; Emily (Randy) Taub, Libertyville, IL; Bill (Colette) DeMonte, Puyallup, WA;  Kimberly (Matt) Bristol, Mankato, MN; Chris (Dawn) ONeil, Faribault, MN; Ryan ONeil, Faribault, MN; Katey (Joe) Beckman, Dassel, MN; Mary (Joey) Penny, West St. Paul, MN; Andrew Jon (AJ) ONeil, St. Paul, MN; Thomas ONeil, St. Paul, MN; Mackenzie (Brady) Brink, Rochester, MN; Patrick ONeil, Duluth, MN; Matt ONeil, St. Cloud, MN; Mason ONeil, Shakopee, MN; Molli ONeil, Duluth, MN; Abi Kwiecinski, Phoenix, AZ.  She is survived by great-grandchildren:  Michaela, Davin, Isabel, Katie Nesius; Aiden, Luca, Elise, Dahlia, Atticus DeMonte; Nicholas Taub; Jacob, Joanna, Julia Bristol; Dylan, Lindsay, Blake, Kyle, Lauren ONeil; Stevie Penny; Natalie, Jacie, Quinn Brink.
She is survived by her sister Lorraine Ahrens of Owatonna, MN; sisters-in-law Shirley ONeil, Edina, MN, and Anne Friday, Waseca, MN; brother-in-law Phil Smith, Whittier, CA; nieces Suzanne Hedeen, Welch, MN; Karla Irke, Owatonna, MN; Debbie Bartelt, Waseca, MN; Arlys Youngberg, Waseca, MN;  nephews Kelly Smith, Anaheim, CA; Bradley Ahrens, Claremont, MN;  Brian Ahrens, Owatonna, MN; Marshall Ahrens, Owatonna, MN; Randy Ahrens, Sanger, TX; and Keith Schroeder, Waseca, MN.
She was preceded in death by her husband Dallas; parents Carl and Katherine Helms; father and mother-in-law Warren and Alma ONeil; sister Lucille Beese; brothers-in-law Vernon and Curtis ONeil, Martin Ahrens, Weldon Beese; sisters-in-law Dorothy ONeil and Maxine Smith; daughter-in-law Lori ONeil; and grandson Shea ONeil.
Visitation will be held at Dennis Funeral & Cremation Services in Waseca on Thursday, June 23, 2016 from 4-7 PM and continue on Friday, one hour before services at the church. Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 24, 2016 at 2:00 PM at St. John Lutheran Church in Waseca.  Burial will follow at Woodville Cemetery in Waseca