Greenbush - Santa Catherine Wallace, 87, formerly of Deer River, died Thursday, March 18, 1999 at the Roseau Area Hospital in Roseau.
Private services were held at Greenbush. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Backus in the spring. The Gieseke Funeral Chapel of Greenbush was in charge of the arrangements.
Santa Catherine Rosa-Gastaldo was born on December 22, 1911 in Maniago, Italy, the daughter of Romano and Maria Katherine (Masmek) Rosa-Gastaldo. She came to the United States with her parents as a young girl, and the family settled in Illinois.
She married Raymond Wallace in Illinois, and the couple lived there before moving to Mildred, MN. Later in her life, Santa attended Bemidji State University and earned her teaching degree. She taught school in Chester, MT, Sebeka, Bemidji and Deer River. After teaching in Deer River for 10 years, she worked for the U.S. Forest Service in the Deer River area from 1981 to 1985.
She was very active in community activities, including the Chamber of Commerce, Senior Citizens, city government, politics and education. She moved to Greenbush in 1998.
Santa is survived by three sons, Raymond Jr. of Newtown, ND, Tom (Pat) of Greenbush, and David (Muriel) of Barnum; one daughter, Ann Wallace of Duluth; 11grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one sister, Gisella Eades of San Rafael, CA; one daughter-in-law, Elsie Wallace of Middle River; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband on January 2, 1972; parents; and two sisters, Analisa and Clementina. A00003B1999MR24