Obituary of Evelyn Jean Mlinar

Evelyn Jean Mlinar, a long time resident of Danville, Kentucky, died Sunday the 27th of September at her home in Chapel Hill. Born in 1935 in Williston, ND, to Clifford Palmer Mehus and Odney Jorstad Mehus, Jean was the eldest and longest lived of their three girls, losing her 9-year old sister Katherine in 1954 and her sister Arleen in 2007. Jean received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Dakota in 1958, working as a pediatric oncology nurse at St. John's Hospital in St.Paul,MN. She married her UND classmate Russell John Mlinar, a mechanical engineer, in 1958, raising three children in Lake Elmo, MN before relocating to Kentucky and subsequently North Carolina. She dedicated her life to family and was devout in her faith. An outstanding needle worker, seamstress, quilter, cook and gardener, Jean loved good food and good stories, especially Louis L'Amour westerns which reminded her of home. She was proud of her Norse heritage, and often regaled friends with tales of her parents' life as homesteaders on the prairie while serving Norse cuisine. She was known for her sweet disposition and wonderful smile and generosity. In addition to her husband, she is survived by their sons John Russell Mlinar of Coon Rapids, MN and Paul Clifford Mlinar of Dallas, TX and daughter Kathryn Jean Mlinar Baerman of Chapel Hill, NC. Her three grandchildren--Luke Joseph Mlinar, Olivia Mae Jean Mlinar, and Michael William Baerman ---brought great joy to her in later years. There will be a funeral at the Walker's Funeral Home, Chapel Hill, NC on October 3, 2015 at 2:00pm and on October 10, 2015 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. Grenora, ND. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the University of North Dakota School of Nursing or St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Grenora, ND. Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill is honored to serve the Mlinar family.