Nellie Florence (DeRoode) Byrne was born on September 27, 1922, in Minneota, to Theodore and Mary (Dero) DeRoode. She was baptized at St. Edward Catholic Church in Minneota. Nellie received her elementary education at St. Eloi Catholic School in Ghent and graduated from Marshall High School in 1940. She and Roland P. Byrne were married on May 13, 1941, at St. Eloi Catholic Church. She and Rollie had nine children. Nellie worked at Ted’s Bar with her parents while brothers John and Bumper were in the military service in the 1940s. She waitressed at Club 59, Chuck’s Corner, and the Atlantic Hotel (now Caldo) for several years. Nellie worked almost 20 years at Lyon County Farm Service as a bookkeeper and retired in 1987. She was a Foster Grandparent for Head Start for a short time, was a charter member of the Ghent American Legion Auxiliary Unit 564 for 65 years and was a life-long member of St. Eloi Council of Catholic Women. She enjoyed her family, especially her grandchildren, gardening, flowers, playing cards, crocheting, the MN Twins and the MN Vikings.
Nellie died on Wednesday, November 21, 2012, at the Prairie Home Hospice House in Marshall.
She is survived by her children Patrick (and Diane) Byrne of Ghent, Roberta (and Jerry) Malish of Thornton, CO, Dan (and Diana) Byrne of Ghent, Ken of Wake Forest, NC, Nancy (and Dexter) Cooley of Wake Forest, NC and Tom Byrne of Ghent, 20 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, brother Ted (and Nancy) DeRoode, sisters-in-law Alverna and Clara DeRoode, brother-in-law Marc Wignes, many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Rollie, daughter Sheila, sons Steven and Roland Jr. “JoJoâ€, son-in-law Joe Illies, granddaughters Stephanie and Rachael Byrne, sister Marion Wignes, brothers “Bumper†(Robert) and John DeRoode and sister-in-law Alice DeRoode.
