Evangeline "Vangie" Gwost

Evangeline Vangie Gwost, age 99, of Little Falls, MN, passed away Thursday, December 19, 2013, at St. Ottos Care Center in Little Falls, MN.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 A.M. Monday, December 23, 2013, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Little Falls, MN, with Fr. Joseph Herzing officiating.Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 7:00 P.M. Sunday, December 22, 2013, and 9:00 10:00 A.M. Monday, December 23, 2013, all at Emblom Brenny Funeral Service in Little Falls.

There will be a Rosary by the Christian Mothers and the Daughters of Isabella at 4:30 P.M. Sunday at the funeral home followed by parish prayers at 7:00 P.M.

Evangeline Vangie Merchlewicz was born on August 2, 1914, in Little Falls, MN, the daughter of Joseph & Frances (Sniezek) Merchlewicz.She grew up in Little Falls and graduated from Little Falls High School, Class of 1932.Following her schooling, she worked for the Farm Security Administration in Little Falls and across northwestern Minnesota.During World War II, she was a court reporter at Camp Ripley.She was engaged to George Gwost before he went to serve during the War in the Pacific.Upon his return, the couple was married on April 10, 1945, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.During their honeymoon, they went to the Busch Gardens in St. Louis. It was there they got their initial inspiration to start a rose garden which grew to 500 bushes in their retirement.Vangie worked as a professional secretary for many companies in Little Falls and retired from Morrison County Social Services.Her retirement was short lived and she began working at the Morrison County Record as a proof reader. She was soon asked to begin a cooking column, Whats Cookin In The County, in 1981 and continued until her second retirement in 1996.Vangies commitment to her church was lifelong.She began playing the organ in the third grade and played until 2002.She and George were lifelong members of the Senior Choir.She also played at St. Ottos for ten years.Vangie was instrumental in the launch of the basement remodeling committee which she co-chaired with her husband, George.They published a cookbook, which she co-edited with Geri Wotzka, to fund the basement renovation.Vangie enjoyed working, cooking, flower gardening, was famous for her kolaches, dancing, music and with George hosted many parties in their backyard log cabin.Vangie lived for the past eight years as a resident in St. Ottos and before that the Harmony House for five years.She passed away peacefully while listening to Handels Messiah and surrounded by her family.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Jeanne (Terry) Bailey of St. Paul, MN, Gerard (Karla) Gwost of Harwood, ND, Michael (Susan) Gwost of Guemes Island, WA, Mary Ann (John) Hennen of Shoreview, MN; grandchildren, Trina (Scott) Uttley, Joshua (Alina) Bailey, Matthew Gwost, Eric Gwost, Andrew (Liz) Gwost, Eugene Gwost, Daniel Gwost, Ivy Gwost, Jessica Hennen and Joseph Hennen;great-grandchildren, Evangeline Evie Uttley, Oscar Bailey, Hugo Bailey and Ross Uttley.

Vangie was preceded in death by her parents; husband, George (May 6, 2008); infant daughter, Mary Suzanne; brothers, Vincent, Dominic, John, Jerome Merchlewicz and sisters, Celia Rue, Helen Trebiatowski, Sr. Vincent (Lucille) DePaul, Esther Prestegard, and Leona Janousek.