Obituary of Dolores Margaret Lundin

Dolores Margaret Lundin passed away on August 28, 2021 at the International Falls Good Samaritan Residential Care Center, where she briefly stayed for hospice, with her family by her side.   She was born on June 5, 1921 to Matt and Julia Hakala in Hibbing, Minnesota.  She was the fourth daughter in a family of five daughters and the only surviving sister at the time of her death.

 

She met her husband in San Francisco during World War II and they married in 1943.   They first lived in Berkeley, California, where her three children were born, then Stambaugh, Michigan and then finally at Sand Lake near Hibbing, Minnesota.  During the last 15 years of her life, she lived near her daughter in International Falls. 

 

She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia (Mike) Jaksa of International Falls; her son Robert (Cheryl) Lundin of Clermont, Florida; two grandsons Matthew (Carolyn) and Steven Jaksa, and a great grandson Sam all of Eugene, Oregon.  She was preceded in death by her husband Frank of 62 years and a son, Steven. 

 

Dolores was a passionate progressive; and among other actions, she marched for peace, phone banked for DFL candidates and wrote letters to her representatives; including letters to support mandated insurance coverage for mental health care.  She was a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and an officer in the Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society.   She attended Unitarian Fellowship for a time.  She was an international traveler and worked in Finland for the South African ambassador for 2 years. 

 

She spoke Finnish fluently and truly was Sand Lake’s ambassador to Finland.  She even housed the entire Finnish choir at her home on Sand Lake.   On one of her several trips to Finland, she was welcomed by the Finnish choir at the Helsinki airport. 

 

She was an avid reader and her library included political biographies, books about philosophy, ethics, government and economics.  She was a life-long learner and in her forties, she attended Hibbing Community College and earned an AA degree.  Her goal was to teach biology and the sciences. 

 

She opened her lake home to family and friends and her parties included feasts and polka bands with dancing to the wee hours, deep-into-the-night discussions on politics and religion as well as story-telling and often a midnight sauna followed by a jump in the lake.   Frank and Dolores’s hospitality and boundless generosity provided the gathering place to nurture deep ties between her children and extended family, who stayed for lazy summer vacations. 

 

Her passion for justice and joy in spending time with friends and family and sparkling personal warmth will continue to inform the actions of her children and grandchildren and her spirit will be cherished by them as long as they live.

 

One week before she died, she asked her daughter about making a donation from her remaining funds to help the homeless.   Therefore, for those who wish to remember her with a memorial, we request them to the International Falls Servants of Shelter, 900 5^th Street, Suite 212. 

 

There will be no formal funeral but her Celebration of Life will be at the home of Cynthia and Mike Jaksa in International Falls and we invite all who knew her to please join us.  Once the date has been set, invitations will be sent as well as published in the Rainy Lake Gazette to be sure to include all who knew and appreciated her.    Her ashes will be buried at the Hibbing Cemetery next to her husband and son.