Arthur McMullen

Art was born Dec. 6, 1925 to Joseph and Margaret (Mollers) McMullen in south Minneapolis. He was the fourth of seven children and graduated from Roosevelt High School. From an early age, Art worked during the summers at the family farm in Lakeville. After graduating he joined the Merchant Marines and also served in the Navy, stationed at San Diego, California. Upon returning home he attended a juniorate in Missouri for approximately one year, contemplating entering the brotherhood. His decision to leave this path was perhaps preordained by the reputed story that he kept a black widow spider in his desk to keep intruders out. Art briefly attended St. Thomas University. Although deciding that academics were not for him, he was a strong believer in liberal arts education and in life-long learning. Art, or Mac, as he was called by most who knew him, from an early age had a deep love for animals. He often nursed injured animals back to health. This special bond and love for animals was passed on to his wife, Betty, and their six children and, of course, to their immense menagerie of beloved pets. As a young married couple Art and Betty made their first home in Minneapolis. They also lived for a time in Bloomington and Prior Lake. In 1966 the family moved north to Onamia, where he resided until 1997, when a stroke following one of his many surgeries necessitated the need for skilled care, at which time he was admitted to the Mpls. Veterans Home. For the majority of the past 10_ years he was cared for by his loving family of dedicated employees on 4 North. In the early years Mac drove truck for Owens Illinois, Barber Oil, and Cargill, where he met his wife, Betty. They married in 1947. Mac’s greatest love was driving truck. He loved “long haul” and always returned home with rolos for his kids. Ever gregarious, in later years whenever Mac and Betty took to the high road, he couldn’t resist striking up a conversation with truckers, his friends of the road. In the early 60’s Mac attended a gunsmith school in Colorado. When the family moved to Onamia he set up shop at the family farm north of Onamia and just west of Mille Lacs Lake. He was a skilled artist and took great pride in his work. For several years during this time his girls, and then neighbor kids, helped Mac deliver papers on his Sunday morning route, always returning home with doughnuts for all. Mac loved to go fishing for sunfish and crappies in the potholes (lakes), his girls with bamboo poles at his side. He had a life-long affair with the West, which inspired at least one daughter to make it her home. Mac loved music. One of his favorite songs was “You Are My Sunshine,” and with his sunny disposition he was in fact called Sunshine as a youngster by his Mother. He had a great sense of humor and loved to joke with his grandkids; “Go ahead. Kick my leg {wooden}!,” one of many shared moments of laughter and often raucous fun. He handled the challenge of being a double amputee with customary inner strength and resolve not to let it stop him. He was very proud of his years of sobriety, which would have been 38 in April. And he was very proud of his family. Mac was involved politically on many levels; community, township and county, and one of his great strengths was the ability to truly and respectfully listen and to engage in meaningful, thoughtful and intelligent dialogue and problem-solving. Mac was determined, in spite of the many physical hardships that he endured, to be independent. And every day he drove his tractor, or changed the oil, or put up a fence line, or made hay, or cut wood, and in his many acts of positive thought and positive action he left us a grand and loving legacy. As Dad would say, “Be Happy.” Mac was preceded in death by his wife, Betty; son, Mike; granddaughter, Micky; brothers, Gene & Leo; brother-in-law Jerome. He is survived by brothers, Brother Finbar McMullen and Brother Arnold McMullen; sisters, Rosemary Bedor, Eileen Ruffenach and sister-in-law, Mary Jane McMullen; children, Paula, Darcy (Mike) Kreger, Casey (Randy) Highland, Shawn (Forrest) Kobs, and Claudia; grandchildren Ryan, David, Shannon, Jesse, Kelly (Kreger), Kelly (Highland), Betsy, April, Donovan, Samantha, Chad and Amber; great-grandchildren, Savana, McKenzie and Steven; special friend, Margaret Smith; & many loving nieces & nephews.

Tributes

Arthur McMullen

December 6, 1925 - February 15, 2008