Emily Clare Peyla age 87, a lifelong resident of Tower, died Sunday, November 15, 2009 in Edgewood Vista Memory Care Unit in Virginia. She was born December 31, 1921 in Tower, the daughter of Emil August and Esther Victoria (Lofgren) Fredrickson. Emily attended Tower-Soudan Schools graduating in 1939 and then attended Business College in Minneapolis learning secretarial skills.
She treasured her time as a young girl growing up in Tower, and loved telling stories from her childhood about walking down to the lake on the railroad tracks to fish, swim, or play with her siblings and neighborhood friends from the alley. As a young adult, one of her favorite stories was about her train trip across the country during the War to be with Sonny, her husband to be, who was stationed in California before deployment to Europe. She married James (Sonny) Fredrick Peyla, on October 10, 1944 at Messiah Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN. The Best Man was Lester Fredrickson, brother of the bride and the Maid of Honor: Patsy (Peyla) Olson, sister of the groom. Emily enjoyed friends and family, spending time at the lake, gardening, singing with the family around the piano and in the church choir, baking lots of scrumptious goodies, cooking delicious meals, shopping for family and friends, and traveling with her late husband Sonny, during which, they visited almost every one of the 50 states.
Emily was a considered by all as a wonderful host and would always greet you with coffee and a sweet treat whenever you visited. She enjoyed sewing, decorating, league bowling, and playing games with the kids at the cabin, and was an expert at crossword puzzles. She was an active devoted member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and the organizations within the church, including the Choir, Ladies Aid, Missionary Society, Summer Bible School, and the Sunday School.
Emily loved her family and friends, small towns, and the wonderful people in them. Her special pleasures were celebrating the Holidays with family and the numerous get-togethers at "the cabin" on beautiful Lake Vermilion with relatives and friends. The traditional large family gatherings at the lake for the "August Birthdays" were a special pleasure, but she loved most of all when her grandchildren would come to visit for a special time at the Lake in the summer or for Christmas in the winter. She would always do something extra for them to make their visits special. She was proud of her Swedish heritage and her "totally awesome" (as the grandchildren would say) Swedish pancakes as well as her famous sugar cookies for the Holidays. Her grandchildren would talk about them all year long, and couldn't wait to get back to Minnesota for another taste. Emily had a kind and loving heart of gold.
Emily is survived by a son: Richard James (Peggy Ann) Peyla of Orinda, CA; grandchildren: Mary Joy (Scott) Ranzal (Gray) of Oakland, CA; Brennan James Peyla of Orinda, CA; and Kameryn Jane Peyla of Orinda, CA; great-granddaughter: Ava Claire Ranzal; Sister: Jeanne Fredrickson of Virginia; Sister-in-law: Patricia Olson of Virginia; several cousins, including: Maren Petersen of Seattle WA; Stenfeld (Connie) Petersen of Greenville, SC; Burton (Jo Ann) Johnson of North Oaks, MN; Kirk (JoAnn) Johnson of Duluth, MN; Jack Lofgren of Bellevue, NE; many other relatives and a host of friends.
She was preceded in death by: Husband, James (Sonny) Fredrick Peyla, (2005); Daughter, Janice L. Gray (1993); Parents, Emil A. Fredrickson (1939) and Ester V. Fredrickson (1981); Sister, Lorraine Omundson (1998); Brother, Lester Fredrickson (2006); Brother-in-law, Elton Olson (2006), and several aunts and uncles.
Emily was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She will be sadly missed.
Visitation will be held Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. Funeral Service in Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tower. Pastor Aaron Lofgren will officiate. Interment will be in the Lakeview Cemetery in Tower at a later date.
Casketbearers will be: Jeff Erickson, Darwin Mickle, Patrick Mickle, Brennan Peyla, George Peyla, and Scott Ranzal.
Memorials are preferred and may be directed to the Alzheimer's Association or Immanuel Lutheran Church.
The family extends its sincere thanks to the staff at Edgewood Vista for the excellent care they provided Emily during her final years.
Family Services provided by Bauman Vermilion, A Bauman Family Funeral Home in Tower. To share personal remembrances of Emily online, please see: www.baumanfuneralhome.com.

Saturday November 21, 2009 , 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church

Saturday November 21, 2009 , 11 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church

Monday November 23, 2009 at Lakeview Cemetery

Memorial Donations Memorial donations can be made to:
ALzheimer's Association or Immanuel Lutheran Church