Dolores Elaine (Knutson) Lindahl, age 95, of Belle Plaine, MN, was welcomed home by her Lord on Friday, April 5, 2024. Her daughter, Trudy held her tightly in her arms as she passed at Kingsway Retirement Living in Belle Plaine, MN.
A Christian Funeral Service will be held at 11:30 AM with visitation time from 10:30 – 11:30 AM on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 500 W Church St, Belle Plaine, MN, with Pastor Martin Bentz and Pastor Ed Fredrich presiding.
Dolores will be laid to rest at Round Lake Presbyterian Cemetery in McGregor, MN.
Dolores was born October 21,1928 to Paul and Margaret Knutson in Minneapolis MN, then raised in the rural countryside of McGregor Minnesota along with her two older sisters Marvel and Pauline.
Dolores was a lover of animals, loved raising and caring always for her pet cat and lamb as well. Every year she had a lamb at the county fair and some years the state fair receiving blue ribbons. She enjoyed growing up amid the forests, rivers and lakes and was an avid swimmer as well as an excellent ice skater and loved skating on the river behind her home.
She was very musical as was her family. She played the piano, guitar, accordion, and various musical instruments by ear and beautifully, as did her dad and Sisters. She and Pauline sang live country and gospel songs on the local radio stations in Aitkin County and even recorded a couple of records.
After graduating from McGregor, in 1946 she moved to Minneapolis where she attended the School of Cosmetology and graduated becoming a beautician. She then met Victor “Mike” Lindahl who was working at Sears while a student at the U of M after his discharge from the Navy, at the end of WWII. They fell in love and married in June of 1948 and remained living in Minneapolis. In December of 1949, they welcomed their only daughter Trudy into the world.
Dolores held various jobs helping to contribute to Victor’s continuing college education, as they moved to St. Cloud where he graduated a teacher and basketball coach. She moved with Victor and Trudy where he taught and coached in Big Lake MN. Then later in life, she followed Victor to St. Thomas where he received his Master’s and Specialist degree in Administration, and they moved to Askov MN. There, he had his first job as a High School Principal. She loved every minute of meeting new people. She loved the students and even taught and directed the cheerleaders and dance line. They then moved to Delano, MN where he retired after several years as their high school Principal.
Victor and Dolores had a lifelong home on a Lake in rural McGregor, where they spent their summers and weekends. After retiring they spent all their winters in Mesa Arizona. She absolutely loved Arizona. They would come home in the summer to be with and enjoy Trudy, son-in-law Tim and their three grandsons, Jonathan, Jed, and Jacob and eventually five Great Grandchildren, all of which they were so proud and dearly loved each one.
Dolores was a devout and loving Christian lady, serving her Lord in all aspects of her life, leaving a wonderful example for her family and others. She was extremely gracious, thankful, compassionate, and very giving. She always put others before herself and was known for her constant “thank you” to everyone.
Dolores always stated: “You take whatever the Lord gives you in life, He is always with you.” She lived by her words.
She was deeply loved and will be sorely missed by her daughter, Trudy and her husband Tim Smith; grandsons, Jonathan (Kimberlee) Smith, Jed (Tammy) Smith, Jacob (Tana) Smith; great grandchildren, Sabrina, Abigael, Mason, Maxwell, Autumn; other family and friends.
Greeting Dolores home in Heaven is her husband, Victor; parents, Paul and Margaret; sisters, Marvel (Raymond)
Hartzberg, and Pauline Blakeborough.
