Arlys Marie (Rutanen) Grauman

Arlys Marie Grauman was born April 12, 1949, to Ernest and Vivian Rutanen in Deer River, Minnesota. She grew up in the St. Cloud area, with her parents and siblings. She loved rollerskating and 60’s music. She worked at her aunt’s restaurant, the Swan Café, for many years in her early life. In the early 70s, she moved back home to Deer River to be closer with her family. She spent many years raising children and working at restaurants around the area, where she made many friends and became family to those that visited with her every day. In 1988, she married Charles Grauman and they added Charlie to their blended family and made it complete. Soon after, grandchildren came and Chuck and Arlys’s house became a place where the door was always open and everyone was welcomed. Arlys loved taking rides with Chuck covering a lot of back roads in Itasca county. Arlys enjoyed having company and loved to bullshit with anyone that stopped by. Arlys spent the end of her work life putting 20 years in bartending at the Vets Club. Everyone there was her family and she loved to tell everyone about her kids, grandkids, and great grand kids. If you ever stopped in there, you probably know a story or two about someone that she was proud of, whether they learned to tie their shoes or graduated from college. She loved to talk and brag about her family. Arlys spent her retired years bundled up at home, watching the game show network and playing solitaire, avoiding the cold. She loved the occasional trip to the casino or the Vets Club to catch up with old friends. While at home, she spent time with Chuck, Angie, and Kaine, being the exceptional matriarch she was and keeping things running smoothly. Arlys will be greatly missed as a wife, sibling, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. To know her, was to love her. You always knew what she thought and she’d gladly tell you again if you misunderstood.

Arlys is survived by her husband of 32 years, Chuck, children; Ronna (Charles) Peck, Penny (Ernie) Gorton, Jason Serfling, Mindy (Derek) Westlake and Kim Grauman, grandchildren; Emily, Cody, Ryan, Brittany, Brenna, Gavin, Hannah, Hunter, Casey, Sophie, Reagan, Shaine, Keaton, Tyler, Angie, Kaine and Charlie siblings; Terry Nelson and Amy Box, in-laws; Marc, Mose and Jeannie Grauman. Arlys also had 12 great grandchildren who will miss her greatly.

She is preceded in death by her beloved son, Charlie, granddaughter Jersey; parents, Ernest and Vivian Rutanen, siblings; Ron Rutanen, Nancy and Ted Schjenken, Martha and Marvin Korpi, and Jim Nelson. She is also preceded by her in laws, Collins and Nettie Grauman, and brother in law, John Wayne.

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