Ora Blanche Mooney

Beloved wife and mother

Born October 28, 1917 in Osceola, WI and died January 8, 2016 in St. Paul, MN, surrounded by family. Ora had many interests. Among them were baking, gardening, birding and fishing. She was always up for a game of cribbage, too. She drew inspiration and pleasure from the study of nature. To all of these endeavors she brought a charming, wry sense of humor. Her longtime East Side home was a gathering place for music, conversation (often political) and Saturday tacos. In addition, she loved to sing, a passion she passed on to her children. While she was the biological mother of eleven, she became a mother figure to many more. She was the loving wife of James for 66 years until his death in 2005 at age 87. To the amusement and awe of their children, Ora and Jim would sometimes harmonize in the style of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. As part of their shtick, they accompanied each other on harmonica. Ora was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Bruce and Alma (Swenson) Ward; siblings, Asahel, Wren, Dell, May, Edith, Percy, Mildred, Mary, and John; infant sons, Michael and Christopher; and infant grandson, Nicholas Mooney. Loving mother of Kathleen Svendsen of UT, Jim of N. St. Paul, Brian of MA, Jeff (Sue) of WI, Maureen Mooney (Lewis) of UT, Philip (Sue) of Woodbury, Paul of UT, Bruce (Sheila) of St. Paul, Liz Morcos (Rick) of Cottage Grove, John (Jeanie) of Hampton and Kristin Mooney of CA. Grandmother of Paul and Alex Svendsen; Daniel Gorder; Ben Mooney; Matt and Andy Mooney; Eric and Craig Morcos; Natale, Abbie and Frank Mooney. Great grandmother of Eliise, Owen and Graham Mooney; Luca and Nico Svendsen; Jack Morcos; Violet Morcos; and Ruby Mooney. Sister-in-law of Marjorie Ward, aunt to many nieces, nephews and dear friend of Karen Kohner Paist. Visitation on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 9:00am followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30am, at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, 2119 Stillwater Avenue East, St. Paul, MN, where Ora was a loyal parishioner for 75 years. Interment on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 11:00am, Fort Snelling National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Children’s Tumor Foundation.