Barbara Michaelson

Barbara Dale (Didier) Michaelson, age 75, of Alexandria, MN, died Tuesday, May 14, 2013, after a year-long battle with cancer. Barb was born in Alexandria, MN on April 29, 1938 to Percy and Dale (Fairfield) Didier. She graduated from Osakis High School in 1956. That year, she represented Alexandria as Miss Jingle Bells in the Minneapolis Aquatennial. She attended Macalester College from 1956-1957, and graduated with a RN degree from Northwestern Hospital in 1959. On December 6, 1958, she married James L. Michaelson (Jim) of Alexandria, in Duluth, MN. Barb and Jim had four children. In their early years of marriage, Barb and Jim lived in Minneapolis, MN, where Barb worked as a nurse at (Abbott) Northwestern Hospital. In 1970, Barb and family moved to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. From 1977 to 1986, Barb was the Supervisor of Industrial Health Education for the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO). In this role, she supervised 19 nurses, and she initiated training and certification in First Aid for 27,000 and CPR for 8,000 ARAMCO employees and dependents. She initiated and coordinated health education classes for King Fahd?s staff at the Saudi Royal Palace in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and she trained EMTs and ambulance drivers at all ARAMCO hospitals. She developed business and operating plans for the Health Education Division of the oil company, and she initiated and coordinated the first Arabic translation of the American Red Cross Standard First Aid Program for Arabic speaking persons throughout the world. After leaving Saudi Arabia in 1986, Barb and Jim moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, and then Alexandria, MN. Barb returned to nursing as a Douglas County Public Health nurse from 1991-1999, and she served as a Student Health Services Nurse at Alexandria Technical and Community College (ATCC), on an intermittent basis. Barb was active in the Alexandria community. Barb served on the Foundation Board at ATCC, and she was a member of PEO. She volunteered her time with the Salvation Army and the DFL. Most important to Barb was her church, First Congregational UCC, where she taught Sunday School, served on numerous boards, and started the first Christmas Day Dinner in Alexandria. Barb enjoyed cooking, traveling, reading, playing bridge, and gardening. She enjoyed spending time with friends. Her greatest pleasure, however, was spending with her family. Nothing was more important to Barb than her children and grandchildren. Barb?s life, love, and laughter will be deeply missed by friends and family. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother-in-law John Michaelson and his wife Nancy, and the love of her life: Jim Michaelson. Surviving Barb are her children and grandchildren: Paul and Cathy Michaelson (William, Lindsay, Anne) of Edina, MN; Joe Michaelson (Alexander, Emily, Elizabeth, Grace) of Chicago, IL; Annie and Jay Clark (Mamie, Nina, and Alia) of Alexandria, MN; and Pat and Kristin Michaelson (James and Julia) of West Bend, WI. In addition, Barb is survived by sisters Suzie, Mary Anne, and Katie Didier, her sister- and brother-in-law, Ruth and Punt Peterson, and many nieces, nephews, and friends. A visitation was held Sunday, May 19, from 3-5 PM, at Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria. A celebration of Barb?s life was held Monday, May 20, at 1:00 PM, at First Congregational UCC, in Alexandria. She was interred next to Jim, at Evergreen Cemetery, Alexandria. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in Barb?s name to the Alexandria Technical and Community College Foundation, 1601 Jefferson Street, Alexandria, MN 56308. Arrangements are with the Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria. www.andersonfuneral.net