This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Gagnon, Plourde, Francois, Becker, Clausen, Sun, Knoke, Graham, Tigan, Berlin, Schroeder, Cartier, Hartman, Szleszinski Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/3FC.2ACI/3745 Message Board Post: Bernadette “Bernie” Gagnon, 91 Wednesday, September 22, 2004 Bernadette “Bernie” Gagnon, 91, a longtime resident of Hudson, died Saturday, Sept. 4, at the Christian Community Home. She was born in Somerset, Feb. 18, 1913, the youngest daughter of Joseph and Eugenia (Francois) Plourde, and was the last of her immediate family. She graduated in 1932 from Somerset High School, where she took part in theater, was an award-winning vocalist and a class officer. She attended Superior State Teacher’s College in 1932-1933 and then Lee Beauty School in St. Paul from 1933 to 1934 to become a beautician. After graduation she began her career at the Chareze Salon and from 1935 to 1937 she worked at the Emporium Beauty Salon, both in St. Paul. She moved to Hudson in 1937and bought the Mae Becker Beauty Shop, at 503 Second St., and changed the name to La Vogue. She operated that shop and another in Shakopee, Minn., until 1943. On April 6, 1940, at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Somerset, she was married to Flavian A. Gagnon. In 1949 she and her husband formed Gagnon Inc., and she was actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the business until 1985. From 1985 to 2000 she remained an officer and consultant to Gagnon Inc. She was active with local charities. She and some of her friends would meet weekly and sew clothes for leper missions. She was also an active member of the St. Patrick’s Parish Council of Catholic Women. Other enjoyments included knitting, cooking, traveling with her family, playing cards and spending a day on the golf course. She took pleasure in the big band era and ballroom dancing. Over the years she enjoyed collecting stamps and tending her meticulous gardens. Surviving are three children, Ronald J. (Martha) Gagnon, Mark Gagnon and Jean (Lawrence) Clausen, all of Hudson; eight grandchildren, Lisa (Erik) Sun of Walnut Creek, Calif., Peter (Deb) Gagnon of Hudson, Amy (Keith) Knoke of Hudson, Jacquie (Steve) Graham of New Richmond, Brian (Candee) Clausen of St. Paul, Michel (Matthew Tigan) Clausen of Hudson, Madeleine Gagnon of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., and Marquelle Gagnon of Hudson; 12 great-grandchildren, Nicholas, Claire, Patrick, Thomas, Nathan, Andrew, Abby, Melissa, Tony, Jennifer, Sam and Sophie. Preceding her in death were her parents, Joseph and Eugenie Plourde; her husband, Flavian Gagnon, in 1968; four brothers, Joseph, Edward Sr., Anthony (Tony) and Francis Plourde; and four sisters, Esther Berlin, Cecelia Schroeder, Viola Cartier and Marie Hartman. Mass of Christian Burial was at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Hudson with Fr. Peter Szleszinski officiating. Music was provided by the Hope Choir. Burial was in the St. Patrick’s Cemetery with her grandchildren serving as casketbearers and great-grandchildren as honorary casketbearers. Visitation was from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home in Hudson. © 2004 Hudson Star-Observer - Reposted by permission http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=11756&SectionID=3&SubSectionID=54&S=1