Services were held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1851 Marie Lane, N Mankato, Minnesota.
Lee Etta was born July 9, 1943, to Joseph Earl Allen and Orma Delores Devine in the Cottage Hospital in Burley, ID. She was the sixth child of seven children.
Lee Etta was a beautiful little girl with long blonde ringlets. She began her first grade of school in the small town of Declo, ID. That year the family moved to Raft River, and she began the long school bus ride (25 miles) to American Falls, ID, for her schooling.
In 1955, the family moved to American Falls where her father purchased the Thornhill Cold Storage. Lee enjoyed living in town surrounded by her church and school friends. She participated in the Young Women’s Program where she earned Individual Awards, performed special dances at Gold and Green Balls and attended girls’ camps. She graduated from Early-Morning Seminary and from the American Falls High School in 1963.
Lee met Don Wilbur Mead who was in the U.S. Navy stationed at the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in Arco. He worked in the Nuclear Energy Laboratory where he learned, not only how to build nuclear reactors, but also, how to maintain these reactors that powered the nuclear submarine. Lee and Don were married Dec. 27, 1963, in American Falls. For two years the couple made their home in Hawaii while Don was serving on the USS Seadragon SSN 584 a State Class Nuclear powered submarine.
Upon his discharge from the U.S. Navy Don and Lee returned to his native state of Minnesota where he attended the University in Mankato. Don completed courses for a degree in secondary education in three disciplines: physics, math and science. However, he did not complete his student teaching, because all the schools in the Mankato area were flooded with student teachers, and they would have had to move to another area. So, he accepted a job in computer designing for The Perfect Seal Company in Mankato. He worked 35 years at this company before retiring with near perfect attendance at his work.
The couple made their home for the next 52 years in Mankato. Here their four children Don, Amy, Nate, and Tina were born, and here they attended church and school.
While Don was in school Lee worked at a cafe’ then at Woolworths as the fountain manager. Prior to retirement she worked at her most favorite job as an aide for the Head Start program for 15 years. She loved working with the children and became an advocate for each of them as she came to know and love them. Little children were her specialty. She often interceded for them in their individual needs.
Lee was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as secretary of the Relief Society, in public relations and worked in the Family History Center. Lee loved all her family unconditionally. She helped care for them throughout her life. A favorite hobby was crocheting. She crocheted afghans for all her family. While in the hospital she finished her last one for a great-grandson to be born in July. She crocheted and donated lap robes for the Veterans Hospital.
Lee was preceded in death by: her grandparents; parents Earl and Orma Allen; sisters Jude’ and Marilyn; brothers-in-law Don Glenn, Gail Lasley and Wesley Adkins; mother and father-in-law Ella Schroeder and Rex Mead.
Survivors include: brothers Joe (Marlene) Allen, Boise, and Richard (Loida) Allen, American Falls; sisters, Lois (Jeff) Fitzloff, Kuna, and Darlene Adkins, American Falls; husband, Donald W. Mead, Mankato; children, Donald William, Amy Lynette (Charlie), both of Mankato, Nathan Daniel (Amy), Eden Prairie, MN, and Kristina Kaye, Mankato; grandchildren, Kayla, Dillon, Caleb, Lisa, Karina, Kera, Zachery, Patience, Payton, Kaylee, Jay and Karter; great-grandchildren, Hailee, Jaxon, Dominic, Calie and Brooklyn,
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