Willetta Barthelemy

OBITUARY Willetta Elnora Barthelemy was born January 19, 1922 in Millerville, Minnesota to George and Anna (Bitzan) Kuhn. She was baptized at Our Lady of Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Millerville. Willie, as she was known to her family and friends, grew up with her four brothers and four sisters, working on the farm, leaping from the hayloft, climbing trees, and playing softball in the pasture with her brothers. She attended St. Mary?s school in Millerville and Kensington High School. Willie later attended Dakota Business College in Fargo, North Dakota where she earned a degree in accounting. In 1941, Willie moved to Alexandria, Minnesota where she became a member of St. Mary?s Catholic Church. She worked as an accountant at Pacific Gamble Robinson, a food distribution company. In 1953, she married Peter Barthelemy who had recently served in WWII. Pete came to work at the family store, Barthelemy?s Furriers. Early in their marriage, Willie spent much of her time working alongside her husband at the fur shop on Broadway in downtown Alexandria. Pete and Willie soon began to raise their three children, Jon, Lynn, and Jan. Her first-born, Jon, had Down Syndrome. It was this ?disability? that led to the defining purposes of Willie?s life. She volunteered with the Association of Retarded Citizens, helped with Special Olympics, spent one week every summer as a camp counselor for Jon and others, and volunteered for countless other programs and organizations. Willie loved being a mother and a grandmother, and in return she was adored by her five beautiful grandchildren. She took exceptional care of her son Jon throughout his life. Additional hobbies of hers included reading, gardening, decorating, and collecting antiques. Willie was famous for her superb cooking which many in her family enjoyed. Willie is survived her daughter Jan Heggestad, granddaughters, Marcie (Josh) McEachern, Lizibeth Fischer, grandsons Robert Jr. (Krystal), Nicholas, and Marcus Heggestad, great grandchildren, Gracelyn, Adelise, and Isabel McEachern, Robert III, and Sawyer Heggestad, sons-in-law, Jim Fischer and Robert Heggestad, her sisters Hyacinth Kuhn and Cordelia Sanvik, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Anna Kuhn, her husband Peter Barthelemy, son Jon Barthelemy, and daughter Lynn Fischer, her brothers Alfred, Richard, Francis, and Arvin Kuhn, and her sisters Lucille Brazil and Elvira Hughes. A funeral mass for Willie was held at The Church of St. Mary in Alexandria on Wednesday, December, 4, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. Entombment was at St. Mary?s Cemetery. Arrangements are with the Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria www.andersonfuneral.net