Grace Rose Hable

Grace Rose Hable died peacefully on June 14, 2025, resting at her home at the Duluth Heights Lodge.

Grace was born on May 11, 1927, in St. Paul, MN to her parents Adeline (Ecklund) and Rudolph Hable. Grace moved to Duluth and lived in the Chester Park Neighborhood in the same house for 85 years. She graduated high school in 1946 from Stanbrook Hall, a respected women’s college preparatory school formerly located at the College of St. Scholastica, with an emphasis on ‘ladylike’ behavior.

Grace was a pioneering young woman for her time earning her private pilot license in 1945 at the age of 18, and earning both her commercial pilot and instructor’s licenses in 1947. While flying was a passion for Grace in her formative years, her love and unwavering loyalty was to her family and the family business, the Piggly Wiggly in Piedmont Heights, where she served as the bookkeeper.

Grace loved the outdoors and stayed active throughout her life gardening, biking, hiking, and walking. For years, she could be found on daily hikes, usually 5 or more miles, on the Hartley Park trails. She enjoyed hiking the most with her sister Rose and brother-in-law Jim. Grace enjoyed travelling by car, especially her trips to the State of Washington to visit her sister. Our family admired her quiet confidence and desire to be independent. A note in her handwriting displayed prominently on a mirror in her home captured the strength and fortitude of her ‘can do’ attitude, simply stating, “Find a Way.”

Grace spent the last 2-½ years of her life living at the Duluth Heights Lodge where the staff and residents befriended and supported her. Special thanks to the professional health care providers at Gentiva Hospice for their care of Grace in the last weeks of her life’s journey. They afforded her the independence and dignity she desired. Grace was preceded in death by her parents, her sister and brother-in-law

Rose and Jim Anderson, and brothers and sisters-in-law Rudolph and Alverna (Dolly) Hable and Richard and Cheryl (Bodin) Hable.

She is survived by her nieces Jeane Binney (Brian) of Washington, DC; Dawn Spielman (Tom) of Minneapolis, MN; Mary Hable (Jim Heppelmann) of Dover, New Hampshire; Patricia Hable of Champlin, MN; and Kathy Tusken (Mike) of Esko, MN; and nephew, Richard Anderson (Dianna) of Seattle, Washington; and grand nieces and nephews, Kat, Riley, Madison, Abby, Matthew, Joseph, Kate, and Ryan.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at the Dougherty Funeral Home. Visitation begins at 11:00 AM with the memorial service to follow at 12:00 PM.

Arrangements by Dougherty Funeral Home, 218-727-3555. Please visit www.dfhduluth.com to sign the online guestbook.