Carmen Adeline Yocum, 97, Albert Lea

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Memorial services for Carmen Adeline Yocum of Albert Lea will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. The Rev. Wendy Anderson will officiate. Visitation will be held Wednesday, from 4 until 7 p.m. at the Bonnerup Funeral Service Chapel. There will not be any reviewal at the church. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery.

Carmen died Sunday, July 1, 2007, at St John&8217;s Lutheran Home in Albert Lea; she was 97 years of age.

Carmen was born June 7, 1910, in Lake Mills, Iowa, the daughter of Bertin and Ida (Thompson) Johnson. She was a graduate of Freeborn High School and received her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Mankato State University.

Email newsletter signup

Carmen taught school for many years in southern Minnesota including country school in Twin Lakes, Pickerel Lake and Maple Island. She finished her teaching career in District No. 241 at the Ramsey School. She had a great repore with her students and enjoyed receiving letters, cards and calls from past students. She was a very caring and compassionate teacher who always put the need of her students first and foremost.

Carmen was a charter member of the Grace Lutheran Church and was active in the church circle and Altar Guild. Most recently she had been a member of the Ascension Lutheran Church.

Carmen was a member of the American Legion and VFW Auxiliary, a lifetime member of the Naeve Hospital Auxiliary, the Retired Teachers Association, the Freeborn County Historical Society, the Albert Lea Art Center, and volunteered countless hours at the area nursing homes including St John&8217;s up until her death. She was very proud of the awards bestowed upon her including the Sertoma Service to Mankind in 1985 and the Albert Lea Citizen of the Year in 1983.

Carmen and Ann Studier operated the Love Cares Center out of the basement of the Alice Hotel for many years, and together with her sisters-in-law made more than 100 quilts per year that were distributed all over the country and around the world. At one point, Carmen owned her own motor home and snowmobile and enjoyed traveling and riding the trails in the winter. She had a wonderful sense of humor and her greatest joys were her family and church.

Carmen is survived by her children Ronald and his wife Jean of North Fort Myers, Fla., Jayne and her husband Dean Williamschen of Albert Lea, and Roger and his wife Kerry of Mankato. There are eight grandchildren, Shannon, Jodi, Darrin, Dawn, Todd, Lori, Seth and Angela. Also surviving are eight great-grandchildren, one brother Walter (Elaine) Johnson of Freeborn, sister Beulah Jacobs of Stockbridge, Mich., special nephew Stanley (Jan) Yocum of Spring lake Park, adopted family Trung (Lethuy) Vu of Orlando, Fla. and many other extended family.

Carmen was preceded in death by her parents Bertin and Ida, Kenneth Yocum, infant son, grandson James Yocum, brothers Orville and Delmar Johnson, sisters Stella Johannsen, Lauryne White and Dorothy Riskedahl.

Memorials to the Youth for Christ or Christian Radio KJLY in lieu of flowers.