Evelyn Sullinger

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Feb. 11, 1940-Oct. 18, 2009

OSAGE - Services for Evelyn Ingrid Sullinger, 69, Osage, are at 11 a.m. Saturday at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Snellman. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. Friday with a prayer service at 7 p.m. at West-Kjos Funeral Home, Detroit Lakes.

She died Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, after a courageous battle with cancer at Emmanuel Nursing Home, Detroit Lakes.

Evelyn was born Feb. 11, 1940, to William and Mary (Longfors) Pihlaja in Shell Lake Township, rural Becker County. She attended country school in Shell Lake. As a young women, she worked in Chicago at MacRay's Plastic. She and Royce Sullinger were married Dec. 13, 1959. They raised three sons together.

Evelyn worked for Federal Cartridge in New Brighton and later moved her family back to Snellman. She became a USDA inspector for Swift Company in Detroit Lakes and Frazee. Upon the closing of Swift, she was employed at Heartland Foods in Marshall as a quality assurance inspector. She retired in 2001 and moved back to Snellman.

Evelyn enjoyed family life, especially her children. She enjoyed hunting with her sons and attending her grandchildren's school and sporting events, especially watching her grandsons wrestle. Time with her sisters and brothers was also important to her and she enjoyed several vacations with them. Evelyn, always advocated for the less fortunate. She took much more delight in giving than receiving.

Survivors include her three sons, Marty (and Geri) Sullinger of New Mexico, Mark (and Sarah) Sullinger of Osage, and Scott (and Sandy) Sullinger of Osage; 11 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; three sisters, Thelma Saarinen and Shirley Clements, both of Osage, and Nora (and Delbert) Saarinen of Detroit Lakes; one brother, Roland (and Darlene) Pihlaja of Osage; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Harold Pihlaga, and two sisters, Verna Kangas and Mildred Kangas.