Yvonne O'Neill

Yvonne Marie O'Neill (nee Laganiere), 86, of Rochester, Minnesota, passed away on July 23, 2024 at Samaritan Bethany Nursing Home in Rochester, MN.

The 5th of 9 children of Louis and Pearl (Knutson) Laganiere, she grew up on a family farm in Lanesboro, MN. There they all had their required daily chores to make things run smoothly. Her chores later became some of her life passions; cooking, baking, gardening and canning.

Yvonne was an excellent cook and baker and always thoroughly enjoyed family gatherings and events where she would share an array of her homemade dishes and treats. Some of her best were scalloped potatoes, baked beans, cinnamon rolls, caramel rolls and rhubarb pies. As adults, we often wondered what her secret was but could only come up with her love for family and food!

After being a hard-working and devoted stay-at-home mom, Yvonne furthered her education by attending Winona Vocational Technical School. Upon graduating in 1976, she attended and earned her nursing degree from St Mary's School of Nursing in Rochester, MN. Yvonne then moved to Austin, MN where she worked at St Mark's Nursing Home until returning to Rochester in 1997 after marrying Mike O'Neill.

Yvonne lived a very full and varied life which was not always easy but she faced everything head on and found the good in all of it. She touched many lives with her wisdom, caring and kindness. She will be dearly missed by so many people and this world was definitely a better place for her being in it!

Yvonne is preceded in death by her parents; husband Michael O'Neill; Brothers Carroll "Bud" and Louis "Joe" Laganiere; and sisters Gail Bennett, Constance "Poke" Laganiere, and Barbara Long.

Yvonne is lovingly survived by sons Jeff (Jana) Johnson of Burnsville, MN and Clifford (Linda) Johnson of Severn, MD; daughter Nancy (Mark) Reinhard of Wabasha, MN; brother LaMonte Laganiere of Rochester, MN; sisters Michon Pingree of Rochester, MN and Clorees (Philip) Haug of Lanesboro, MN; six grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Celebration of her life will be held Saturday September 14, 2024 from 1:00- 3:00 PM at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home.

Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes is honored to be serving the O'Neill family.