Cynthia Ann Michaelson
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Cynthia Ann Michaelson, known to a generation of middle school and high school students as "Mrs. M," died Feb. 5 in peace at home in Northfield, Minnesota, after a decades long struggle with cancer. She was 65.
Cynthia served as a substitute teacher for many years in south-central Minnesota schools. She loved working with students, and she had a soft spot for those in alternative schools or with special needs. She took delight in the music of their names as she called the roll in the morning, and she often came home with anecdotes about the kids, always interesting and often amusing.
She was trained as a journalist and read the newspaper front to back every day. She took special pleasure in the unusual, so the police blotter was her favorite item to read. She was an avid bicyclist who averaged better than 1,000 miles a year along nearby bike trails. The Root River trail through Lanesboro was her favorite.
Cynthia was never happier than when she was behind the wheel of her car on a cross-country trip. Late in life, she often put her bike on the rack and took off for places near as Faribault and as far away as Albuquerque.
Cynthia was born July 14, 1956, in Ottawa, Illinois, to Richard and Theresa (Bernardini) Michaelson. The family moved to Peru, Illinois, in the 1960s, where her father worked in the grocery business. She loved the parks of central Illinois, with a special affection for Starved Rock State Park.
She graduated from LaSalle-Peru High School and attended Illinois Valley Community College before transferring to Southern Illinois University, where she discovered her passion for journalism. At Southern, she rose to become editor in chief of the Daily Egyptian, the university's award-winning student-operated newspaper.
Her first job after college was as a copy editor at the Quad-City Times in Davenport, Iowa. There she met her husband, Michael O'Donnell, a sportswriter for the paper. They were married in January 1982. They moved to Evanston, Illinois, in 1983 when Michael was hired by the Chicago Tribune. Cynthia worked as publications director for the Chicago CPA firm Blackman Kallick, then took on her favorite and most important job, raising her two daughters.
The family moved to Forest City, Iowa, then to Albert Lea, Minnesota, and finally Northfield, Minnesota. She began substitute teaching in 2009.
Cynthia is survived by her husband, Michael O'Donnell; daughters Frances O'Donnell (William Blakeley) of Auburn, Alabama, and Dana O'Donnell (Patrick Vernon) of San Diego; brothers Steve (Sher) Michaelson of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, and David (Lori) Michaelson of Granville, Illinois; her beloved aunt Lora Lockhart of Ottawa, Illinois; and dozens of nieces, nephews, cousins, and sisters- and brothers-in-law.
No services will be held. Memorials should be made to the ThreeSixty Journalism program at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. https://threesixty.stthomas.edu/donate-to-threesixty-journalism/ biermanfuneralhome.com.