A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Ardeth “Ardy” Ann (Malluege) Pykkonen, 83, of Esko passed away July 31, 2020, in her home after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis.
Ardy was born March 16, 1937, in St. Paul to Ervin and Florence (Witzel) Malluege.
Ardy attended first through sixth grades at the one-room Carver School, which did not have modern facilities. She graduated in 1955 from Harding High School in St. Paul. She worked at Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (later to become 3M) in St. Paul until December 1958, when she married Donald Andrew Pykkonen and moved to Esko. In 1960 she began working for Carlton County Human Services and worked there for 38 years, retiring as a child support officer. Ardy was a kind and caring person who took great joy in her family. She enjoyed making connections with all the people she met.
Ardy was a member of St. Matthews Lutheran Church and served in active roles in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and other committees for the church. She was able to go on two missionary trips to Haiti in 2005 and in 2008, assisting medical teams and helping with bible school. Ardy was also a representative for the American Scandinavian Student Exchange (ASSE). She was able to place 60 students in local families and she and Don also hosted three in their home.
Ardy was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Jerome Malluege; and sister, Karen Batterson.
She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Donald Andrew Pykkonen; children, Craig (Lynn) Pykkonen of Laporte, Susan (John) Nelson of Burnsville, and Brent (Leah) Pykkonen of Esko; and six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
We extend our heartfelt thank-you to all who loved and cared for Ardy including friends, family, and the St. Luke’s Hospice program.
A private family service will be held at this time, and a public service will be held at a later date. Letters and cards of condolence may be sent to the family care of Atkins Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th St., Cloquet MN 55720. To sign the guestbook and offer an online tribute, see http://www.atkinsnorthlandfuneralhome.com.
Pine Knot News, Aug. 7, 2020
