Ione Halvorson

Ione Halvorson, age 94, of Erskine, MN, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 7^th, at McIntosh Senior Living with her family by her side. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 11^th, at Grace Lutheran Church in Erskine with the Rev. Pam Thorson officiating. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery, rural Erskine. Visitation will be held from 12:30 p.m. until the time of the service on Saturday afternoon at the church. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Erskine and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com. 

Mary Ione VanDuyn was born on April 10, 1930, in Bagley, Minnesota, one of nine children, to parents Forrest and Clara (Hillestad) VanDuyn. She lived in Bagley until 1943 when the family moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota. After completing school, Ione worked at Griffith’s Department Store in downtown Grand Forks where she met her future husband, Daniel.

Ione was united in marriage to Daniel Halvorson on July 25, 1948, in Grand Forks. After their marriage, they began their life and started their family in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. They moved to Larimore, North Dakota for several years and then, in the Summer of 1963, to Erskine. The family located to Fosston in 1968 and then to Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, where they lived for many years. In addition to raising her children, both Danny and Ione worked at American Crystal Sugar until their retirement. 

Danny passed away in 1990. After his death, she continued to live on the farm in Red Lake Falls. In 2011, she moved back to Erskine, then to Poplar Meadows in McIntosh and, for the past 11 months, McIntosh Senior Living.

Ione has always loved nature and was an avid wildflower and bird enthusiast. She volunteered at the Rydell Refuge near Erskine for many years and received the “Volunteer of the Year” award several of those years. In honor of her volunteering at Rydell, an observation area was dedicated in her name. Ione also enjoyed going hiking at Itasca State Park with her siblings.

In addition to volunteering, Ione was always an active person. She liked golfing, bowling, wood carving, and traveling to Arizona for one month during the winter. 

Most of all, Ione loved her family. Known to her children and grandchildren as “Mother Bear”, “Gramma Bamma”, “G-Bear”, and “Gramma Onie”. Ione’s family was the most important part of her life. She spent countless hours with her grandchildren playing games (like Dominos, hide and seek, and eye spy). She also enjoyed following her kids and grandchildren in their sports. She was well-known for sharing her talents and giving her love through her embroidery. She made numerous personalized embroidered dish towels for everyone in her family. 

Ione passed away peacefully early Tuesday morning, May 7, 2024, with her family by her side, at the age of 94 years.

Survivors include her children, Steven (special friend, Lois) of Tucson, AZ, Daryl (Yvonne) of Erskine, Vicki (Tom) Ledding of Erskine, Trudy (Bob) Carlson of Erskine, Diane (Bradley) Anderson of Lengby, MN, Dave (Jean) of Erskine, Brent (Terrie) of Thompson, ND, Bonnie (Bill) Daniel of Bismarck, ND, and Darel (Cindy) Gustafson of Deephaven, MN; 24 grandchildren; 49 great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild; two sisters, Marion Jonson and Janice Gransberg, both of Grand Forks, ND; sister-in-law, Marian VanDuyn of Perham, MN; and several nieces nephews and cousins. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel; her parents; two grandchildren, Brenna Neeland and Benjamin Halvorson; sister, Betty Moen; and brothers, Forrest, Wesley, Edward, Vernon, and Wayne.

Blessed be her memory