Yvonne Duggins

Yvonne was born in St.Paul, Minnesota, to Carl and Ethel (Neihart) Helland, and was the first child of her generation in the Neihart clan, and shortly before her death, became the longest-lived member of her family, surpassing her mother. Born during the Great Depression, and growing up in the midst of the tumult of World War II, she and her sister, Marlene, were raised by their single, hard-working mother who instilled in them the values they carried through their life. Graduating from St. Paul Central High School in 1948, she attended Gustavus Adolphus College for one year before going to work for advertising giant, BBD and O. She married her Korean War vet husband, Tom, in 1952, and lived the 1950's stay-at-home-mom life. In a career move, the family came to the Detroit area in 1963, moved briefly to Palos Verdes, California, but returned for good in 1965. Sadly, her marriage didn't last, so following her divorce, she built a career, first as a Fraud Investigator, then as a Systems Programmer, for a large service company for the banking/credit card industry. This enabled her to buy her home in Novi in 1974, where she lived until mere days before her death. She hosted nearly every Summer weekend around the pool and the grill, as well as most big holiday dinners (her Christmas hors d'ouvre buffet was otherworldly), and birthday celebrations while her grandchildren were growing up. She had an adventurous spirit, and loved to travel, visiting family in St. Paul at least once a year, and visited Mount Rushmore while Hitchcock's North-by-Northwest was being filmed, Haiti, Mexico, New Mexico, Birmingham and Atlanta, where her sister lived, Niagara Falls and on to Boston with her daughter and grandkids in tow, Germany and Denmark with her great aunt, London (twice!), and Australia. Her social life revolved around her family: children and grandchildren, mother, sister, and aunt Marge. She died peacefully in Angela Hospice during a brief stay in her last days. Yvonne is preceded in death by her parents, her stepfather, Andor Wickberg, her sister Marlene Bledsoe, two infant sons who lived mere days as a result of RH Factor complications, the large clan of beloved aunts and uncles in the Neihart clan, and her nephew, Bruce Simon. She is survived by her son, Scott (Edie), daughter Kimberly Turner (Duane), Grandchildren Erin Stein (Jeff), Graham, Steve Harvey, Mandi Ebbesen, Cassie Bezyack (Karl), Michael Stein, and many great-grandchildren, great-nieces and -nephews and one great-great-grandchild. Preferring cremation, a memorial service for family is planned for a future date. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to Special Olympics in memory of her disabled nephew, Bruce Simon, or to Wounded Warriors, her favorite charities.