Clarice "Dolly" Lee

Clarice "Dolly" Lee, age 97, of McIntosh, MN, passed away on Sunday, December 3rd, at McIntosh Senior Living. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 9th, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in McIntosh with the Rev. Rene Mehlberg officiating. Interment will be in Trinity Free Lutheran Cemetery, rural McIntosh. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service on Saturday morning at the church. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of McIntosh and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com. 

Clarice (Dolly) Eleanor Edwards was born to Einer and Clara (Wikstrand) Edwards on May 31, 1926 in Lessor Township, McIntosh, MN.  Dolly got her name because she was small enough to fit into a shoe box and spent some time in the wood stove to keep warm.  Supposedly her dad never knew her given name.  She was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church of rural McIntosh.  She attended Plainview rural school through 8th grade, just 1/2 a mile from home.  With their home being the closest to the school, there was usually a teacher living with the Edwards family so Dolly had to be on her best behavior.  She graduated from McIntosh High School in 1944.  After graduation she worked for a time in the potato industry in Grand Fords and other odd jobs with her good friend Marion (Vaatveit) Finkle.  

On November 20, 1946 she married a local man from Lessor, Marvin Lee, at Salem Church in the country.  They traveled out to Condon, Oregon a few separate times in their early married years working on various farms.  In 1957 they bought their farm in Lessor where Dolly helped milk cows and take care of chickens, selling eggs to her lady friends.  Dolly had a number of other jobs throughout the years; working on the potato harvester, Pearson's Dime Store and the B-B Lunch.

While on the farm Marvin and Dolly received the 1983 Valley Farmer and Homemaker Award and the 1989 Valley Dairyman of the Year for Polk County.  They were also the recipients of the Soil Conservation Award for East Polk County.  

Dolly and Marvin moved into McIntosh in 1989.  She really enjoyed being in town, visiting with the ladies and keeping up with the news.  Dolly and Marvin wintered in Texas for 25 years.

Dolly was a member of Salem Lutheran Church until the church closed, then becoming a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church.  She was active in the Lessor Homemakers, East Polk Farm Bureau Women's Committee where she entered the yearly baking contests and usually won.  Dolly was also a member of the Salem Ladies Aid.  She also worked at the East Polk County Fair in Fosston many years receiving the entries.  Dolly also exhibited many items and won numerous ribbons.  On the farm and after moving to town, her lawn and flowers were always a beautiful sight.  She received the "Yard of the Week" award many times.  It was a challenge to the neighbors in town to keep up with her!

Marvin died March 6, 2011, and Dolly continued to live in her house until 2014.  After a few falls, her granddaughter Christine told her "Grandma, you can't live by yourself anymore", so she agreed to 'try' Poplar Meadows for a month.  She was so busy playing cards, having coffee, and visiting with her friends that the grandkids almost had to make an appointment to see her.  To this day she would never really admit that she did enjoy it there.  The last 3 days of her life were spent at McIntosh Senior Living before her body gave out at 8 pm December 3, 2023.

Dolly is survived by two sons, Jim (Susan) Lee and Mark (Joan) Lee of McIntosh, five grandchildren Christine (Jerry) Weber, Philip (Ashlee) Lee, Rebecca (Keith) Kleven, Joseph (Kelly) Lee, Samantha (Kevin) Caron, four great grandchildren Tori, Bria, Silas, Macey, sister Shirley (Frankie) Cyr, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Eddie and Robert, sister Helen Johnson, brother-in-laws Arlo Johnson, Ernest Lee, Bernt Lee, Lavern Lee, Sheldon Lee and sister-in-laws Dagney, Gyda, and Myrtle Edwards.