Ercyl M. Grindahl

A Funeral Service for Ercyl M. Grindahl of Roseau, MN will be held on Thursday, July 21, 2016 at the First Baptist Church in Roseau, MN at 1:00PM. Interment will be held at Spruce Cemetery in Roseau, MN.

Ercyl M. Grindahl (Mellstrom), 90, of Roseau, MN lost her courageous battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on July 12, 2016. Though she lost the battle she never gave up the fight.  

Ercyl was born shortly after her twin sister Evonne on August 4, 1925 to Engnar and Lavaun (Squire) Mellstrom. She grew up in Salol, MN exploring the General Store of which her father was proprietor. She graduated from Roseau High School.

On September 20, 1947 she married Elmer Grindahl. The couple moved to Minneapolis but returned to Roseau a few years later to build a home on a farmstead 3 ½ miles west of town.

Ercyl was an active member of the First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School for many years and served as church Treasurer. Though she held numerous jobs – bookkeeper, tax preparer, waitress, baker and seamstress – her most enjoyable job was being an “Avon Lady” for more than 50 years – right up to the day of her death. 

She loved puzzles of all kinds and her day was not complete until she had solved the crossword and Jumble puzzles in the Grand Forks Herald. Tending to her flowers and feeding the birds and hummingbirds brought her immense joy.

A smile, a cup of coffee and a plateful of home baked goodies greeted anyone who stopped by the house. Her baking prowess garnered her numerous Blue and Grand Champion ribbons at the Roseau County Fair. At the age of 89, she was still bringing baked goods, canning and sewing projects to the Fair. After almost 60 years of exhibiting, her presence will surely be missed. The Roseau County Fair will have to find someone else to win all those Grand Champion ribbons for baking.

Ercyl is survived by her husband of 68 years, Elmer; a sister Rose Roberson (Gerald) of Tucson, AZ.; three children Mervin and Pat Grindahl of Waseca, MN, Dean and Doreen Grindahl of Grand Forks, ND, Nancy and Ed Rosston of Sioux City, IA; five grandchildren Christen Grindahl of Seattle, WA, Rachel Orth (Andy) of St. Paul, MN, Liz Chermack (Eric) of Apple Valley, MN, George Rosar of Minneapolis, MN and Kelly Smith (Chris) of Douglas City, CA; four great-grandchildren Jenna and Serena Chermack, Sierra and Asher Smith; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her twin sister Evonne.

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