Ernest "Ernie" VanHeel

( Feb 20, 1924 - Jan 29, 2013 )
Golden Valley

Ernie was born in Freeport, Minnesota and grew up working hard on the family farm in St. Anthony, Minnesota. He moved to Minneapolis in 1944 to begin his career as a carpenter. In 1965, he started his own business as a remodeling contractor. He married Maryann Donovan in 1952 and they had six children.

Preceded in death by parents, Peter and Catherine; brothers, Walter, Lee, and Raymond; sisters, Eleanor Weber and Juletta Hentges; grandchildren, Andrew and Christina Johnson.

He is loved and will be dearly missed by Maryann, his wife of 60 years; children, Jim (Barbara), Susan Plesha, Joanne (Tom) Coughlin, Thomas (Laura), John (Kency), and Catherine (Dan) Johnson; 17 grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren; sisters, Lucille (Vernie) Ebensteiner, Marcella Schreifels, and Dolores Tamm.

Interment St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Osseo.

Memorials may be directed to North Memorial Hospice.