Lucille Marie Mealey

Lucille Marie (Brandt) Mealey, age 96, of Afton, Minnesota, died peacefully at Boutwells Landing in Oak Park Heights on March 4, 2026, surrounded by her children.

Lucille was born November 19, 1929, in Osceola, Wisconsin, to Lionel Henry and Margaret Helen (Jahnke) Brandt. She grew up in Farmington, Wisconsin, attending the one-room Elm Grove School and helping on her family's farm. As a young adult, she moved west to St. Paul, where she studied accounting and began working at the First National Bank. It was at a Somerset wedding dance that Lucille met her lifelong match in Jerome "Jerry" Mealey, a United States Army Air Forces veteran and former farm kid—the perfect rough-around-the-edges contrast to Lucille's by-the-book demeanor. It was a partnership that would last the rest of their lives. They were united in marriage on September 26, 1953, and began their life together in St. Mary's Point before eventually needing a larger home for their growing family. As a surprise, Jerry purchased a run-down farmhouse—with no plumbing and only a single light bulb for electricity—promising Lucille he would “fix it up.” The home would later become fondly known in the family as “The House That Dad Built,” eventually earning the nickname Mealey Manor, where they put down roots in Afton and built decades of memories with their children and, later, their grandchildren. They were married for 68 years until Jerry’s passing in 2021.

For her entire life, Lucille was guided by her deep faith and unwavering devotion to God. She was a faithful prayer warrior and dedicated member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church for 71 years, where she could always be found sitting in the second row.

Before she was a grandmother, Lucille was a mother of seven—and it was through motherhood that she laid the cornerstone of her lifelong commitment to showing up for the people she loved. She and Jerry attended countless music concerts, theater performances, and sporting events over the decades, never missing a child's or grandchild's activity. They were truly omnipresent in their family's lives; if you scanned the crowd, you would find them there. At home, Lucille had a passion for cooking, baking, canning, and hosting legendarily large family gatherings where she served abundant food and baked goods. She loved entertaining friends, traveling, ceramics (her beloved “therapy group”), gardening—especially tending to her gorgeous rose garden—and spirited card games. She was a caregiver to many and treasured time with her extended family. Lucille loved fiercely and made each person in her life feel uniquely special by cultivating a direct, one-on-one connection with everyone she held dear. She never missed a birthday phone call and never forgot to put a card in the mail.

Lucille will be remembered when we argue over which bar is the best (is it Special K or Carmelitas?), when we pour gravy over every single thing on our plate, when we say Catholic grace before a meal, and when we lug our folding chairs down to the Afton Parade. We will remember her in the flowers and in every postwar hotdish recipe. We will hear her laugh when we get kicked out of a campsite for breaking the noise ordinance and when we shatter the decibel meter at every family holiday. And above all, we will remember her when we show up for each other—sitting in the crowd and supporting from a distance, the way she taught us to.

Lucille is survived by her seven children: Linda (Paul) Mealey-Lohmann, Greg Mealey (Linda Jo), Sue (Brad) Lee, Barb (Joe) Rosell, Mary (Joe) Cincoski, Kathy Mealey, and Michelle (Sean) Sego, whom she loved dearly. Her legacy will live on through her 14 grandchildren: Elise, Jenn, Michael, Sarah, James, Jalil, Nichol, Jon, Craig, Aaron, Jessica, Patrick, Benen, and Kyra—and her 13 great-grandchildren: Austin, Logan, Patience, Isaac, Wyatt, Emmitt, Walt, Alistair, Hugh, Luke, Henry, Davi, and Eva. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jerry; her parents; daughter-in-law Pam; granddaughter Mandy; her brother Gene; and her lifelong best friend, Elaine Kerschbaum.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 16770 13th Street South, Lake St. Croix Beach, Minnesota, with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m. A luncheon will follow at noon in Berg Hall. Interment will take place at St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery in Bayport, Minnesota. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Sharing & Caring Hands (www.sharingandcaringhands.org/donate), or Lakeview Homecare & Hospice.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff of Lakeview Homecare & Hospice, Croixdale (Presbyterian Homes & Services), and Boutwells Landing for their kindness, patience, and loving care of Lucille.

Services are entrusted to O'Connell Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Services in Hudson, Wisconsin.