O’Ceil Clarine Purdie, 89, of Owatonna, formerly of Wells, died Saturday, April 7, 2012, at Traditions in Owatonna. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wells. The Rev. Kathy Fullarton officiating. Burial will be at Dell Cemetery in Frost. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells is in charge of the arrangements.

O’Ceil was born Jan. 16, 1923, in Dell, to Nordahl and Mabel (Njoes) Tenold. She attended high school through 11th grade. She married Marshall Romaine Purdie on March 17, 1940, in Wells. She worked at the Wells Municipal Hospital for many years as an aide and an LPN. She was a member of the Wells Legion Auxiliary. She was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, and previously was a member and church secretary at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Her hobbies included knitting, crocheting and baking, and she was nicknamed “Grandma Cookie” by her great-grandson, Luca Sorensen. O’Ceil loved to help and care for people her entire life.

O’Ceil is survived by her husband of 72 years, Marshall Purdie; daughter, Carol (Larry) Flynn; sons: James (Judy) Purdie, Neil (Wanda) Purdie and Glen (Linda) Purdie; 13 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law: Berniece Baker, Maxine Thorson and Ardean Purdie Douma; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother Myrl Tenold; sisters-in-law: Claudean Tenold, Hazel Purdie, Ethel Cutting and Marge Purdie; great-grandson, Nicholas Silbernagel; and brothers-in-law: Telbert Cutting, Wallace Thorson, Harold Purdie, Loren Purdie, Dale Purdie and Floyd Baker.