Elvie M. Luoma

Celebration of life for Elvie Marie Luoma, 93, will be 11 am Saturday, February 10, 2018 at the Gilbert Community Center with Bud Koskiniemi officicating. Inurnment will be in the Makinen Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements by Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Gilbert. Elvie died Sunday, February 4, 2018 at St. Michael’s Health and Rehabilitation Center in Virginia. She was born on April 14, 1924 to Sam and Fannie (Heinonen) Mileusnich in Crosby. She was raised by mother and step father, Emil Laurila as her father Sam died before Elvie was born. Elvie married Albert Luoma in 1940. The couple made their home in Makinen until recent years. Elvie had worked at the Eveleth Government Tree Nursery during the 1950’s and was proud that she had a very high percentage of success with the red pine trees she grafted to be transplanted in Northern Minnesota. After the nursery closed, she drove school bus for sixteen years, retiring in 1984 to care for her husband Al, as he battled cancer. After Al passed away in 1986, she gathered items and operated a loan closet out of garage where she collected various types of medical equipment for anyone in need. Elvie was honored as the St. Louis County Volunteer of the year in the 1990’s. She enjoyed working at the Laskiainen making biscuits and bread for many years. She also picked and made princess pine wreaths for several years. She took pleasure in deer hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and four wheeling, especially when her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were involved. Family was most important to Elvie. She profoundly loved her sons, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren and great-grandchildren . She will be dearly missed. Survivors include her sons: Jim (Carol) of Cohasset, Richard (Cherie) of Makinen; granddaughters: Lynn (Brian) Fountain of Savage, Darcy Louma of Fitchburg, WI; step-grandchildren: Thorr Wiebke of Makinen and Vince (Deana) Popovich of LaSalle, MI; great-grandchildren: Samuel and Abigail Fountain, Josie and Jayden Gilbert; brother: Dan Laurila of Duluth; sisters: Mae Laurila of Biwabik and Alma Krikelas of Pahrump, NV; brother-in-law: Vern Dahl of Virginia; sister-in-law: Mary Laurila; a special friend: Carl Cox; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents: Sam and Fannie Mileusnich; stepfather, Emil Laurila; brothers, Chuck and Albert Laurila; sister, Sylvia Dahl; and step grandchildren, Brenda Popovich and Torrey Wiebke.