Memorial services for Valma Demo, age 90, of Thorne Crest Retirement Center, will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Dec. 8, at St. Theodore Catholic Church. The Rev. Robert Schneider will officiate. A private interment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Friends may greet the family one hour prior to services at the church.

Valma died on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2003, at Thorne Crest North.

Valma was born on Aug. 24, 1913 in Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada, the daughter of John (Jack) and Alice (Breau) Arseneau. Valma was the oldest of nine children. She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Bathurst, N.B., Canada. Val became a nurse, receiving her R.N. degree in Campbellton, N.B. She began nursing at Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, N.Y. in 1938. It was there she met Bob, her husband of 62 years. They were married in 1941 in Rochester, N.Y.

While Bob was serving in World War II, Val and their first child, Robert, moved to Blue Earth to be near Bob’s parents. She and Bob moved to Albert Lea in 1946.

Valma was a wonderful hostess and loved to entertain. The house was always full with her children’s friends. Valma enjoyed gardening and being surrounded by flowers. During the summer months, she loved to go barefoot, only wearing shoes when absolutely necessary.

She really enjoyed playing bridge with her friends. Her quiet moments were spent reading or with knitting needles in hand. In her later years, she made countless dishcloths, which we will enjoy for years to come.

Valma and Bob enjoyed spending summers at Leech Lake and winters in Sun City, Ariz., where she tended her garden of roses and cacti.

Alzheimer’s slowly took her from us, but even to the end, children always made her smile.

She is survived by children, Robert and his wife Claudia Demo of Lakeville, Alice and her husband Kim Hanson of Albert Lea, and John and his wife Aleida Demo of Delray Beach, Fla.; eight grandchildren, Stephen (Erica) Demo, Eric (Heidi) Demo, Troy Pappas, H. Alexis (Doug) Friend, Tate Hanson, Johnny, Joseph and Caroline Demo; and nine great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters Beulah Barrett and Lucille Woods, as well as brothers Louis, Eldon and Ronald Arseneau.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob, and brothers Gerard, Harold and Gregory Arseneau.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Theodore Catholic Church.