Eileen Lacanne

Our kind, gentle Mother, Eileen B. LaCanne, age 85 of Faribault, died Monday, January 4, 2010 at St. Lucas Care Center in Faribault surrounded by her family.             Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, January 8, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault with the Rev. Kevin Finnegan and Rev. Stephen LaCanne concelebrating. Interment will be held at St. Lawrence Cemetery, Faribault.             Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home in Faribault on Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday for one hour prior to services. Parish prayers will be recited on Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m.             The family prefers that memorials be directed to the Faribault Area Hospice Patient Care Fund.             Eileen Barbara Kotz, the daughter of Mathias and Margaret (Becker) Kotz, was born on Jan. 28, 1924 at home on her family farm north of Faribault. Eileen was the oldest of six children and the only daughter. As a young girl Eileen worked around her home by cleaning the horse barn, helping milk cows, digging potatoes and helping in the garden. She also did house work for relatives as a teenager. It was at the Union Lake Ballroom in 1940 that Eileen met her future husband Francis LaCanne. After a two year courtship, they were united in marriage on Feb. 4, 1942 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Faribault. After their marriage they moved into the Faribault farm home and started their family and had six children. They farmed for over 40 years in Wells Township, Rice County. After the children had grown, Eileen worked for two years at Control Data and for the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf for eight years. From 1978 to 2002 Eileen was in charge of the St. Lawrence Church funeral luncheon committee. Eileen and Francis enjoyed traveling and some of their trips included, Mackinac Island, Nashville, Glacier Park on the Amtrak, Las Vegas, Arizona and a cruise to the Bahamas. During their marriage Eileen enjoyed gardening, dancing, playing cards and trips up north fishing with friends. In later years she enjoyed playing cards and bingo and visiting with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. On August 19, 2007 she was preceded in death by her husband Francis.             She is survived by six children, Judy (Matt) Thomas of Faribault, Jane (Martin) Speikers of Owatonna, Kay (Dale) Paquette, Dennis (Jane) LaCanne, Dale (Shari) LaCanne and Linda (Michael) Thompson, all of Faribault; by 21 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren; by her brother, Ralph (Jeannie) Kotz of Bakersfield, CA; by four sisters-in-law, Phyliss Kotz of Northfield, MN, Mary Ann Kotz of Minneapolis, Frances LaCanne of Morristown and Bee Kotz of Bakersfield, CA and by many nieces, nephews and cousins.             She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, four brothers, William, Harold, Jerome and Roman Kotz, seven sisters-in-law, Marilyn Kotz, Annie LaCanne, Marie LaCanne, Delores LaCanne, Veronica LaCanne, Agnes Dwyer and Mary Brunner and by seven brothers-in-law, Louis, Vincent, Joseph, Lawrence and Raymond LaCanne and Joebie Dwyer and John Brunner.