Evlyn Dahling Obituary
Evlyn Deloris (Copp) Dahling, 92, died on Friday, Aug. 24, 2018 at Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus in Rochester.
Evlyn was born on Oct. 9, 1925 at the Lake City Hospital to Archer John and Grace (Geppert) Copp. Evlyn was their fourth child. She attended rural school and later, high school in Lake City, where she was active in many activities, including marching band. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1943. She moved to Owatonna to work for Federated Mutual Insurance company for two years and then enlisted in the WWII Cadet Nurse Corp. She attended training at Abbott Hospital in Minneapolis and upon graduation, and WWII coming to an end, she did not serve any active time in the Army. She did, however, enjoy a six-month rotation to the Hines Veterans Hospital in Hines, Ill. Upon returning home, she began a job at St. John’s Hospital in Red Wing.
On Aug. 2, 1949 she was united in marriage to Donald John Dahling at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lake City. She worked at the Lake City Hospital from 1949-1950, before returning to work at the St. John’s Hospital in Red Wing, where she worked as head nurse on the surgical floor. The Dahling’s lived in Red Wing for several years, during which time their only child, James Donald Dahling, was born. Donald then took a job with a tire company and they moved to La Crosse and later to Marshfield, Wis., before moving back to Lake City in 1962. They became members of First Lutheran Church in Lake City, where they were both active in many areas. Upon their return, Evlyn was hired by the Lake City Hospital and remained there until her retirement in 1994. She spent 28 years as the director of nursing there.
She served on many boards, including the Practical Nurse Board of the Red Wing Technical College. She was a member of the Minnesota Hospital Association, the Minnesota Nurses Association, and the Southeastern Minnesota Health Care Council. She was a charter member of the Minnesota Nurse Executive Organization of Minnesota and a teaching volunteer for the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Awareness initiative. To further complete her education, Evlyn enrolled at Winona State University in 1970 and graduated with a bachelor's degree.
Evlyn’s hobbies included sewing dresses, quilts, home furnishings, and many other items. She made over 100 baby quilts. She enjoyed participating in craft shows with Don, showcasing her acrylic painting. In 1988 Evlyn purchased her first computer and took many lessons on operating it. Since then she has had three more computers in her home. Evlyn learned to ride a bicycle at age 63 and enjoyed golfing, even if it was only for fun. Donald and Evlyn were treasurers of the Lake City Country Club for 17 years. The pair enjoyed travelling and saw most of the United States, but mostly enjoyed spending their time travelling to Virginia, where their son, his wife, and their children lived. They often traveled with Evlyn’s sisters, who all had the same wedding dates of Aug. 2. The sisters made it to the World Fair together in 1978 in Knoxville, Tenn. and traveled to Sacramento, Calif.
Evlyn and Don, were co-directors of the Lake City Food Shelf for many years. During this time, they have gone from helping around 10 families a month to helping more than 100 families a month.
Evlyn is survived by her son, James (Mary) Dahling of Carrollton, Va.; and two grandchildren, Jason James (Samantha Chau) Dahling of Cranbury, N.J. and Lindsay (Seth) Matthews of Arlington, Texas. Evlyn was preceded in death by her husband, Don; parents; one brother, Verle Copp; and two sisters, Ada (Copp) Larson and Lorraine (Copp) Rabe.
A memorial service will be Saturday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church in Lake City with Pastor Tim Ehling officiating. Burial will be at Lakewood Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are with the Mahn Family Funeral Home, Anderson-Peterson Chapel in Lake City.
Online condolences can be sent to www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com.
