Leola "Lee" Crisman Vezina 80 of Bigfork, Minnesota passed away on November 29th, 2024, at her home in Pine Tree Villa.  Lee was born August 20th, 1944, in Joliet, Illinois.  Raised by her parents John and Ruth Crisman in Wilmington, Illinois.  Her childhood was filled with love of family and horses.  Her father raised horses, and Lee was an early and avid horse rider.  She participated in many horse shows and her first job was grooming horses at the Wilmington stable.  At the age of 15, Lee met the love of her life Larry Vezina.  In December of 1961, Lee and Larry married in Yorkville, Illinois.  They settled in Togo, MN where they raised three children Julie, Greg and Sandy.  Lee was a homemaker while Larry was a Logger in the community.  However, Lee always kept busy working part time as a postmaster, school secretary, planting trees for the DNR and she mostly loved her work as a CNA at the Bigfork Valley Nursing Home.

Lee was a proud woman.  Proud of her husband, her children, and her grandchildren.  Always available and welcoming when family and neighbors came to her home for coffee or dinner.  She was a wonderful cook, baker and gardener who mastered canning and serving her homegrown vegetables.  She loved deer hunting, often showing up most of the men in camp with some very big bucks!  While on the other hand, she was always the best dressed when getting fancied up at the holidays or for a night on the town with Larry.

Lee was preceded in death by her husband Larry: son Greg:  grandsons: Dakota and Jacques: her parents John and Ruth: and brothers Leonard and Don.

She is survived by her daughter Julie (Jack) Leblanc, daughter Sandy (Gino) Anselmo: daughter-in-law Lesley Vezina; grandchildren: Joshua, Jenna, Michael, Gianna, Anthony, Jordan, Joseph, Gabe, Ben, Greg JR, Alliandra, Reese, Axel, Grace, Kayleigh; and great grandchildren: Connor, Jack, Declan, Nolan, Parker, Zoey, Gabriel Jr., Ryland, and Leiliani.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, January 17, 2025 at 11:00 am at Mlaker Funeral Home, Cook, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.