Avanelle M. Carlson was born June 19, 1923, in Yellow Medicine County, the daughter of Gustaf and Cecelia Marie (Swenson) Palmlund. She was baptized and confirmed at the Dawson Covenant Church in rural Dawson and attended country school through the eighth grade.
Avanelle and Milton Grandprey were united in marriage in June of 1940. To this union, Dennis and Belinda were born. In these years she worked as a supervisor for a plastics company and enjoyed growing flowers and vegetable gardening.
She returned to Dawson and later was married to Clayton Toombs. They lived for a time in Clarkfield and then moved to Dawson. Clayton died suddenly on October 20, 1973.
Avanelle and Carl M. Carlson were united in marriage on September 19, 1975, in Dawson. For many years she was a nurses' aide at the Johnson Memorial Home and enjoyed doing 'hand work' which included sewing and crocheting. They sold their home and moved into Golf View Apartments, and when her health started to fail, they moved to the Madison Lutheran Home. In January of 2000, they moved into the Johnson Memorial Home and remained there until her death on Thursday, October 12, 2000, at the age of 77.
Avanelle is survived by her husband Carl; children: Dennis (Arlene) Grandprey of Tacoma, WA and Belinda (Dave) Hilderbrand of Dixon, IL; 6 grandchildren: Kimberly (Andrew) Mace, Brandi (Jerry) Lynch, Robyn Grandprey, Teri Grist, Elisa Hilderbrand, and Leah Hilderbrand; 8 great-grandchildren: Connor Mace, Andrew Lynch, Kalene Lynch, Sean Grist, Megan Grist, and (adopted) Antwane, Jasmine, and Tyler Mace; brother, Donovan "Bud" Palmlund of Chicago,IL; sister, Marcaline Robottom of St. Augustine FL; other family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Clayton Toombs; and sister, Emelyn Palmlund.
She will be greatly missed by those whose lives she touched and cherished in their hearts.