Delores Lee

Delores (Englund) Lee was born on December 31, 1931, in St. Petersburg, Florida the daughter of Gideon and Helen (Reamy) Englund.  She lived in Florida until the age of 10 when she traveled by train with her sister, Helen to Minnesota. They lived with their Aunt and Uncle Lindberg in Minneapolis for a year before moving up to the Alexandria area to stay with their Aunt and Uncle Englund. Delores graduated from Central High School in 1949.

Delores was employed at Douglas County Hospital as switchboard operator and filed patients’ accounts. In her younger years Delores was employed as a portrait touch up artist for Vernon Studios. She also worked at Hardee’s for five years.

Delores had artistic talents starting from a young age. While attending the sixth grade, in Minneapolis, her teacher selected her to paint murals portraying the war efforts on the classroom windows. Delores’ work was recognized with her photo and story in the Star Tribune Sunday paper that year. She continued creating art throughout her lifetime with painting and sketching.

Delores also had a passion for music, which she shared by singing in the church choir and as a soloist at both the Assembly of God and First Lutheran Church. She also shared this passion with her children by encouraging them to pursue their own musical talents. Three of her children were taught college level piano lessons at St. John’s University while growing up.

Delores enjoyed reading, singing, and gardening; she was also active in the community and schools. Delores was a member of Assembly of God and later First Lutheran Church, both in Alexandria.

Delores died on Tuesday, June 23, 2020.  She is survived by six children: Dale Lee, Mary Jane Schoonmaker, Kenton (Benita) Lee, Richard Lee, Jonathan (Linda) Lee, and Rosanne (Greg) Johnson; 16 grandchildren; 50 great-grandchildren; one sister: Helen Earlene (Englund) Erickson.

She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Mary Jane Englund.

Private family services were held.  Internment was at Kinkead Cemetery in Alexandria.