Mae Elizabeth Heglund

Mae Elizabeth Heglund, 97, of Crosby died Monday, March 4, 2024 with her family by her side at her son’s home in Ironton.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 11 a.m. at Cascade United Methodist Church in Deerwood with Rev. Gary Taylor officiating. Visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the service. Burial of the urn will be at the Bay Lake Township Cemetery after the service with a luncheon served at 1 p.m. at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Resort.

She was born on September 14,1926 in Crosby to Alexander “Alec” and Myrle (Fuller) Ruttger and during her early years lived with her family at their home at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge.

In her younger years, Mae enjoyed riding horses and working at the horse stables at Ruttger’s. She attended and graduated from Crosby-Ironton High School—class of ‘44, attended the Junior College in Crosby for one year, and completed her B.A. degree in Business and Economics at Grinnell College in Iowa in 1948. She briefly worked as a secretary at the University of Minnesota and then returned back to Bay Lake to work for her family managing the Paul Bunyan Trading Post. In 1956, she married John Arnold Heglund at Ruttger’s Lodge. She continued to work at Ruttger’s as a Bookeeper/Payroll Administrator throughout the years. She also filled in as a baker when needed at the resort. To mark the 100th anniversary of Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge in 1998, Mae even authored a book “The First 100 Years.” Mae was honored for her years of service by having the Auntie M’s Kaffeehaus at Ruttger’s named in her honor in 1997. She worked at Ruttger’s until 2009 when she retired at the age of 83.  

She was a life-long member of the Deerwood and Crosby United Methodist churches and was integral in helping to establish the Cascade United Methodist Church when both the Deerwood and Crosby churches merged. She was the Financial Secretary for both the Crosby and Cascade churches for many years and was also a dedicated member of their choirs. Mae was also a Bay Lake Lioness.

Mae loved animals so any donations in her honor can be made to the Garrison Animal Hospital’s “Wild and Free Wildlife Program” at www.wildandfree.org. To donate, please click on the “donation” button on the main webpage and indicate that it is a memorial is for Mae Heglund and type in the donation addressee email address as ljheglund@msn.com.  Or a check can be mailed to Wild and Free Wildlife Program, P.O. Box 241, Garrison, MN 56450. Please indicate on the check that the donation is made in memory of Mae Heglund.  

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Laura Heglund, Ironton; daughter, Laura Heglund, Plymouth; two grandsons and granddaughter-in-law: Adam and Lacy Heglund, Little Falls and Alex Heglund, Royalton; great-granddaughter, Janie Heglund; brother and sister-in-law, Jack and Ann Ruttger, Brainerd; sister, Jane Bobich, Grand Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and husband, John Arnold Heglund in 1990.

Arrangements are with the Koop Funeral Home of Crosby.  To leave a message of condolence go to www.koopfuneralhome.com.