Elizabeth Cloutier

Elizabeth (Betty) Cloutier, age 99, of Faribault, died Sunday, October 26, 2008 at the District One Hospital in Faribault.    Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church at Sacred Heart in Faribault. Interment will be at the Calvary Cemetery in Faribault.    Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home in Faribault on Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday for one hour prior to the services at the church. The parish prayers will be held on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the funeral home.    Elizabeth (Betty) Mary LeMieux, the daughter of Alphonse and Melanie (LaCanne) LeMieux, was born on November 11, 1908 in Faribault. She graduated from Sacred Heart Grade School, Bethlehem Academy High School and from Rosary College (now Dominican Univ.) in River Forest, IL. She majored in French with minors in Latin, English, and history. She was certified to teach for life in grades 1-12. Following her graduation from Rosary College, Elizabeth taught French and Latin at Bethlehem Academy from 1930-1932. She worked in Faribault in Social Welfare, doing case work in 1934. She also did post graduate work at the University of Minnesota and at Mankato State College and became certified for life to teach in Special Education. She taught at the Faribault State Hospital from 1957-1968. Elizabeth then taught in St. Paul, MN, Special Services division from 1970-1976. She was married to René Arthur Cloutier on September 11, 1937 at the Sacred Heart Church in Faribault. He preceded her in death on their 52nd anniversary, September 11, 1989. Elizabeth was active all of her life and held various offices in civic and religious organizations including the A.A.U.W. and various State Teachers organizations, the Faribault Woman's Club, the Daughters of Isabella, Knights of Columbus Auxiliary and the Minnesota Right to Life. She was a lifelong member of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Faribault.    She is survived by six children, Marie (Mrs. Bernard) Fleming of Long Valley, NJ, Arthur of Page, AZ (married to Marie Murphy), Thomas of Faribault, Lucille (Mrs. Nicholas) Contorno of Dousman, WI, Jeanette (Mrs. Nicholas) Salm of Antigo, WI, and Helen (Mrs. Bruce) Halverson of Andover, MN; 12 grandchildren, Kevin Fleming, Michelle Macco, Kathleen Sowa, Julie Ellis, Rene Cloutier, Gina Shanks, Camille Contorno, Nicholas and Matthew Salm, Christine Little, Jeanette Braun, and Chad Cloutier; 16 great grandchildren, Ashley and Kaitlin Fleming, Christopher and Nicole Macco, Abigail Sowa, Coby Dagata, Kayla and Amanda Ellis, Gwendolyn, Olivia, and Sophia Salm, Tyler and Mitchell Little, Fuller and Landon Braun, and Delaney Salm; sister, Lucy Jones of West St. Paul, MN; and many other relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; son, John in 1985; grandson Joseph Contorno in 1975; two brothers, Ernest and Louis LeMieux; and two sisters, Mary Walker and Genevieve Froman.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Divine Mercy Catholic Church or Bethlehem Academy.