Ralph E. Tessier

Ralph Eugene Tessier, 87, of Virginia, Minn., formerly of Sycamore, Ill., died Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, at St. Michael’s Health & Rehabilitation Center in Virginia, Minn. Born Nov. 22, 1919, in Sycamore, he was the son of Eugene Lewis and Katheran Agnes. He served during World War II with the 8th Army-Air Force in Bovington, England, from 1941 to 1945. It was there that he met his wife, Eileen McCullough Cherry, who was serving with the Royal Air Force of England. They were married in England in 1944. They resided in Sycamore for almost 49 years until her death in 1994. Mr. Tessier was a retired clerk and sign painter, and moved to Virginia, Minn., in 1996.

He is survived by six children, Katheran (Dr. Joseph) Caulfield of Virginia, Minn., Jeanne Tessier of Louisville, Ky., Mary (Ted) Hunt of Newark, Robert (Kathy) Tessier of Cadiz, Ky., Janet Tessier of Louisville, Ky., and Nancy Jo Tessier of Galesburg; 11 grandchildren, Jennifer Caulfield (Daniel) Rinta of White Bear Lake, Minn., Sean Tessier of Seattle, Wash., Alison Caulfield (Daniel) Kenda of Denver, Colo., Cris Tessier of Texas, Jeremy (Merry) Tessier of Vero Beach, Fla., Alyssa (Tony) DaSilva of Orlando, Fla., Erin Bittinger of Newark, Shelley Barone of Fort Wayne, Ind., Mary Jeanne Alberti of DeKalb, Stephen Barone of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Ben (Ruth) Barone of Athens, Ga.; and eight great-grandchildren, Stephanie and Caitlin Rinta of White Bear Lake, McKenzie and Brennan Tessier of Vero Beach, Kayleigh and Bennett DaSilva of Orlando and Skylar and Senna Sausier of Port Isabel, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Eileen, in 1994; two sisters, Mary Malm and Claire Hoover Peele; three brothers-in-law, Aaron Malm, Rex Hoover and Milton Peele; and an infant granddaughter, Lisa Katheran, and an infant grandson, Christopher.

Graveside services will be held at a later date at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Sycamore. Memorials are preferred and can be directed to Patient Activities Department, St. Michael’s Health & Rehabilitation Center, 1201 S. Eighth St., Virginia, MN 55792, or St. Mary’s Square Living Center, 239 S. Cherry St., Galesburg, IL 61401. Family services are provided by Bauman-Cron, a Bauman Family Funeral Home in Virginia, Minn. To share a personal remembrance of Mr. Tessier online, visit www.baumanfuneralhome.com. For information, call (218) 741-9593.