Ione Luverne Siegel (DuChamp) Obituary (1928 - 2017)

Ione Luverne Siegel (DuChamp) age 88, of Golden Valley, passed away on April 4, 2017. Born in Mavie, MN, she grew up in Thief River Falls, MN. Preceded in death by parents, Joseph and Alice (Hanson) DuChamp, and step-mother, Hazel DuCh siblings, Joan (Don Engelstad) and Duane DuCh and sister-in-law, Darlene (Arden) DuChamp. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Samuel; children, Susan (Dale) Berns, David (Julie Selbst) Siegel, Jennifer (Thatcher) Root, and Lisa (Bruce Stasch) Siegel; grandchildren, Joseph and Ellery Berns, Eliana and Lilah Siegel, Frederick and Ethan Root, and Abigail Peterson. She is also survived by siblings, Naida Hope (Jack Pederson), Arden DuChamp, and Mark (Judy) DuCh sister-in-law, Peggy (Duane) DuCh and many beloved family members and friends. Celebrating family connections was central to Ione. She made many feel like part of her family and loved extra guests at dinner. She was a favorite sounding board for many beloved nieces and nephews. She loved special family occasions and enhanced them with her cooking, floral arrangements, and elaborate photo displays. An involved mother always ready to offer helping hands, she led scout troops, served as classroom mother, and encouraged pursuit of any interest. She and Sam were true and equal partners. Together they owned Siegel Associates, a printing brokerage business. In 1977 Ione and Sam became partners in three family-owned apartment buildings in Minneapolis, 1011 Marshall N.E., and the historic Commodore and Buckingham Buildings in the Loring Park neighborhood. As property manager, Ione soon recognized that Loring Park’s deteriorated condition in the 1980s had a profound impact on the neighborhood’s quality of life. She along with Dottie Speidel co-founded the non-profit Friends of Loring Park organization. Ione served as president for many years and was honored by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as the Loring Park volunteer of the year in 1994 and the Board made a special resolution to honor her continuing contributions in 2002. While managing for 38 years she made life better for thousands of tenants and dozens of employees over the decades, as well as for the entire neighborhood through her volunteer activities and stewardship. She finally retired in 2015 at age 86 due to illness. She and her family deeply appreciate the help of her caregivers, Bella Suslova, and Jane Burns; and very special help from our friend, Mary Martin. Memorial service will be held at 1:30 PM SUNDAY, April 9, 2017 at TEMPLE ISRAEL, 2323 Fremont Ave. South, Minneapolis. Help celebrate the garden of her life with Memorials to Friends of Loring Park. SHIVA 6 pm Sunday at Temple Israel.