Uda Mae Disse, 89, of rural Detroit Lakes, MN died Saturday, November 10 at her home surrounded by her loving family and under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 AM Saturday, November 17 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Detroit Lakes with Father Joseph DeCrans officiating. Pallbearers will be her grandchildren, with her great-grandchildren as honorary pallbearers. Interment will be in Holy Rosary Cemetery.
Friends may call 4-8 PM Friday, November 16 at the church. There will be a Parish Vigil Service at 7:00 PM Friday, also at the church.
Uda Mae Newman was born on October 24, 1918 in Ponteix, Saskatchewan, Canada to Reva Mae (Orth) and Claude Allen Newman. She moved to the United States with her family in 1936. Uda was married to George L. Disse in the parish house of Holy Rosary Church in Detroit Lakes on October 24, 1938. She and George were born on the same day one year apart, and they were married on their birthdays. After they married, she worked side by side with her husband on a farm near Detroit Lakes. In addition to farming, George worked for Quenvold Creamery and Uda worked for Montgomery Ward. They later went into the mink business and she continued to work with her husband until they retired in the late seventies. They made several trips abroad and traveled the United States extensively, eventually spending their winters in Arizona. She had fond memories of the neighborhood birthday club parties when her children were small, family vacations, going on weekend trips with the camping club and the friendships they developed over the years.
Uda took pride in her appearance and she loved to shop. She had great knack for matching and coordinating colors and achieving a classy look seemed to be easy for her. In later years, shopping was the one activity that made her forget the chronic pain that plagued her. When she became unable to get around on her own, she switched to catalog shopping. She liked tinkering with house plans (none were perfect as they were) and had a passion for interior decorating, at which she was very good. She learned to do Hardanger embroidery and made many beautiful pieces. Uda also learned to make porcelain dolls. These and her embroidery pieces will be keepsakes for her children and grandchildren. She loved flower gardening, particularly with gladiolas, geraniums, begonias, lilies and tulips.
Uda converted to the Catholic faith after her marriage and became a devoted member of the Holy Rosary Church. She had unwavering faith in God and waited a long time for him to take her to her Heavenly home. She was preceded in death by her parents who died in 1957; her brothers, Wayne (1946), Urmie (1978), Bud (1996), and Gayle (2001); one great-grandson, Hunter McKenzie, in 1994; her only sister, Wilma Renner, in 2002.
Uda is survived by George, her husband of 69 years; two daughters and three sons, Gail McKenzie of Detroit Lakes, Paula (Clark) Rolfe of Fort Myers, Florida, Glenn (Debbie) Disse, Kevin (Mona) Disse and Kent (Kim) Disse, all of Detroit Lakes; ten grandchildren, Gerry McKenzie, Chad Rolfe, Shane (Amy) McKenzie, Clyde (Charmaine) Rolfe, Jesse (Stephanie) Disse, Nicole (Mark) LeDoux, Sadie (Dewey) Poehls, Abby (Troy) Pettit, Sarah Disse, and Lee Disse; 15 great-grandchildren, Amber McKenzie, Alexa McKenzie, Samantha Disse, Shay Rolfe, Holden McKenzie, Skylar Rolfe, Karsten McKenzie, Courtney Rolfe, Eli Disse, Josie McKenzie, Brittany Rolfe, Rhyen Pettit, Oliver Disse, Kaleb Poehls and Hudson Pettit.