Adeline Louise (Michaels) Gudvangen, 80, died Saturday, March 17, 2012, at her home in Fertile, MN, after a battle with cancer.

Adeline Louise Gudvangen was born February 3, 1932, in Fisher, MN, to Rudolph and Esther (Ingebrigtson) Michaels. The family moved to rural Fertile where Adeline attended and graduated from Fertile High School in 1949.

After High School, Adeline started waitressing at the Sweet Shop Cafe in Crookston. There she dated LeRoy Gilmore Gudvangen. They were later married on December 22, 1953, at the Hitterdahl Lutheran Parsonage in Maple Bay. LeRoy and Adeline initially lived in Crookston before moving to Fertile in 1957. Adeline was employed as a cook at the Top Notch Steak House in Fertile. In 1972, she was employed by Fertile-Beltrami Public School as a cook. She resigned her position as a cook after several years to join the janitorial staff. She retired in 1997.

Adeline (Addie) was very unassuming, with her children as the center point of her life. She encouraged them with expressions like, "I could never do that" when shown finger paintings, penmanship papers and science projects.

The doors to Addie's home were always open to whoever might decide to drop in. Sunday afternoons would find brother and sisters and their children arriving for a potluck meal and a game of softball in the alfalfa field.

One of Addie's greatest joys was when her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren came home for a visit. There were many days during the Christmas Season when her kitchen floor would be covered with suitcases, blow up beds and pillows as families arrived to spend Christmas with her. She would always say, "Just make yourself at home. I don't wait on anyone," and that is what each person did.

Adeline may have been NorthWest Minnesota's greatest MN Twins fan. It was best not to interrupt the Twins game. Meeting and having a photo taken with a couple Twins players caused endless smiles. Quilting, plastic canvassing, playing various card games and farkel were a major pastime.

She is survived by her children, two sons: Richard (Sheryl) Gudvangen, Brookings, SD, and Todd Gudvangen, Mentor, MN; three daughters: Cynthia (Dennis) Strobush, Winona, MN, Kim (Bruce) Larson, Nielsville, MN, and Tammie Radermacher, Erskine, MN, 12 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, a sister, Muriel Briggs, Thief River Falls, MN, three brothers, Walter (LuAnn) Michaels, Farmington, MN, Roger Michaels, Fertile, MN, August (Nancy) Michaels, Inver Grove Heights, MN, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, LeRoy, two sisters, Carolyn Christianson, and Agusta Gudvangen, two brothers, Edmund Michaels, and Arthur Michaels, a grandson, Joel Strobush, a great grandson, Caleb Strobush, and a son-in-law Rick Radermacher.

Funeral service: 10:30AM Thursday, March 22, 2012, at Concordia Lutheran Church, Fertile, MN.

Visitation: Wednesday from 5-7 with a 6:00 Prayer Service at the church.

Burial: Concordia Lutheran Cemetery, Fertile, MN.