August 'Auggie' Mezzenga
CROSSLAKE -August "Auggie" John Mezzenga, age 86, of Crosslake, passed away early Wednesday morning, Oct. 1, 2008, at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008, at Immaculate Heart Catholic Church in Crosslake. Family and friends are welcome to visit from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Friday at the Brenny Funeral Chapel of Crosslake and for one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. There will be a rosary at 6:45 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Auggie was born on Sept. 5, 1922, in Minneapolis, the son of Donato and Concetta (Luipi) Mezzenga. He graduated from Marshall High School. On Jan. 23, 1943, he was united in marriage to Bette Greer in Minneapolis. Auggie worked with Honeywell Inc. in the Aerospace Division for over 20 years. In 1968, he changed career paths when he and Bette purchased a restaurant "Up North" in Pequot Lakes. Later that same year they moved to Crosslake. They owned and operated Mezzenga's Cafe for two years until he returned to various management positions with Sportscraft, S.C. Distributors, and Larco Mfg. He fully retired to his hobby farm in Crosslake in 1985.
In addition to his business and family life, Auggie was a member of Immaculate Heart Catholic Church, a past member of the Knights of Columbus, served as mayor of Crosslake and the director of the Crosslake Food Shelf. Among the many pleasures of his life, playing cards, cooking and traveling. None were as important to him as his family. He measured his life, not by his possessions or monetarily; his wealth was his family and his family is what he enjoyed the most of life.
Auggie will be lovingly missed by his wife of 65 years, Bette; children Jan (Doris) Mezzenga; Susan Mezzenga and Jim Eder of Brainerd, Susie Mezzenga of Crosslake, Jill (Merlin) Carlson of Pequot Lakes, and Patty (Tom) Steiger of Nisswa; 24 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and siblings, Angeline Barrett, Joseph, Donato and John Mezzenga. He was preceded in death by his parents Donato and Concetta; brother Vincent; and son Tom.
Memorials are preferred to the Immaculate Heart Catholic Church Building Fund.