Eunice Ida Mackenthun

Obituary

Eunice Ida (Trapp) Mackenthun was born January 27, 1930, in Springfield, MN to Ted & Ida (Mueller) Trapp. She passed away February 26, 2022, at the age of 92 in hospice care at Grand Meadows.

Eunice was baptized February 16, 1930, at her parent’s home in Sanborn, MN, and confirmed April 4, 1943, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in New Auburn. She graduated in 1948 from Glencoe High School and from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1952 with an Elementary Education degree. She married Victor Mackenthun on December 20, 1953. They spent the next 55 years together in Glencoe living, working, and raising three slightly above-average kids. Eunice taught in the Glencoe School District and First Lutheran School until her retirement in 1990. She also worked at the Glencoe Public Library and helped out at Vic’s Electronics.

Eunice cherished time spent at the cabin on Lake Manuella and trips to Steamboat Lake to visit the Mueller clan. It didn’t matter if she was fishing or shooting the breeze around the campfire- she was with family and that’s all that mattered.

She was a big part of the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved celebrating their graduations and weddings and never forgot a birthday. She enjoyed attending sporting and fine art events to watch her grandchildren. Eunice looked forward to every holiday gathering so she could catch up on what was happening in their lives.

Her quest for learning never stopped. She dove into every craft fad that came along. Stained glass windows, ceramics, macrame, knitting, crocheting, windsocks, and cross-stitch all had their day. But her true love was sewing and quilting, which she was able to do until late in life.

Eunice believed in volunteering- serving many years as part of the First Lutheran Altar Guild, Ladies Quilters, Stewardship board, and senior and handbell choirs. She also made time for social groups like the Red Hat Society, Study Club, and retired teachers group.

She had an amazing circle of support. Her friends traveled with her to China and Costa Rica, played cards, sewed quilts, shared crazy birthday gatherings, met for coffee, or told her on which channel she could find the Gophers or Twins. Her friends kept her looking forward to the next day.

Eunice endured several tragedies early in life. Both of her brothers were killed in separate accidents when she was a young girl, leaving her as the only child. Her mom also passed away at a relatively young age. In addition, Eunice was involved in a situation where she lost two friends in a drowning accident. Her own life was saved when two young men were able to pull her into their boat. One of those men was John Paulmann. Eunice and John reconnected after each lost their spouse and became good friends and travel companions--a Hallmark movie before Hallmark movies existed.

These tragedies had a profound effect on her. They instilled a deep conviction that nothing was more important than family and friends. Without siblings of her own, Vic’s brothers and sister, along with their spouses, became her brothers and sisters. Distant cousins became close relatives and friends.

Her final seven years were spent at Grand Meadows. She thought the world of the staff, and they felt the same about her.

Eunice was preceded in death by her husband, Vic, parents Ted & Ida Trapp, brothers William & Lyle Trapp, parents-in-law Rudy & Lily Mackenthun, grandson Christopher Bromley, and sister-in-law Carol Mackenthun.

She is survived by her children David (Michele) Mackenthun, Glencoe, Kathryn (friend, Randy Spande) Ortloff, Glencoe and Steven (Laura) Mackenthun, Sartell.

Grandchildren:
Taylor (Valerie) Mackenthun, Collin (Jamie) Mackenthun, Tanner (Brittany) Mackenthun, Kimberly (Lee) Bun, Grant (Katie) Mackenthun, Clay Mackenthun, Paige Mackenthun.

Great-grandchildren:
Hadley & Harrison Mackenthun, Evan & Edison Mackenthun, and Sovanni & Rayden Bun.

Sister-in-law, Carol (Eugene) Grewe, brothers-in-law, Donald & Arden Mackenthun.