Theresa Champagne, 80, died Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at Thief River Care Center, Thief River Falls, MN.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM Saturday, August 15, 2009 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Brooks, MN with Father Chuck Huck presiding. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery in Brooks.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM with a 7:00 PM prayer service on Friday, August 14, 2009 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Brooks, MN. Visitation will also be held from 9:30 AM until the time of the funeral on Saturday at church.

Theresa Lucille Lessard was born on March 20, 1929 in Lambert Township, Red Lake County, near Oklee, MN on the family farm, the daughter of Charles and Rose (Asselin) Lessard. She was baptized on March 21, 1929 into the Catholic faith. She attended country school in Lambert Township through the eighth grade. After school Theresa worked at a turkey farm for about one year, and with the money she made there she bought herself a coat; she also worked on her parents family farm.

On October 25, 1948, Theresa was united in marriage to Elmer Champagne at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Oklee, MN. They made their home on a farm they had purchased in Poplar River Township, just east of Brooks, MN. To this union there were eight children born, Kathleen, Richard, Kenneth, Ronald, Jeffrey, Kevin, Janel and Scott.

She enjoyed cooking, gardening, visiting with friends and family, and enjoyed her married life, raising their children and being on the farm. Theresa was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Brooks, MN and was active in the guild.

Survivors include six children, Kathleen Halsa of Thief River Falls, MN, Ronald Champagne of Rock Springs, WY, Jeffrey (Debra) Champagne of Brooks, MN, Kevin (special friend, Judy Burns) Champagne of Prineville, OR, Janel Champagne of Brooks, MN, and Scott (special friend, Teresa) Champagne of Crookston, MN; grandchildren, Michael (Dena) Halsa, Tony (Lindsey) Halsa, Tina (Ben) Lange, Bryan (Marie) Champagne, Patricia (Kent) Bergerson, Denise Champagne, Shane Champagne, Lance Berberich, Dana Berberich, Steven Champagne, Danielle Champagne and Christa Champagne; great-grandchildren, Nathanial, Aaron and Molly Halsa, Farrah Halsa, Brandon Champagne, Bryce and Matthew Bergerson, Jordin and Jarrin Gunderson, and Jeremy Kruchowski; brother and sisters, Maurice (Lou) Lessard of South Milwaukee, WI, Delores Berberich of Red Lake Falls, MN, Marie Mercil of South Milwaukee, WI and Yvonne (special friend, Chuck) Boucher of Mentor, MN; sisters-in-law, Maryann Lessard of Brooks, MN, Dorothy Lessard of Hillsboro, ND, Mary Lessard of Crookston, MN, and Ione Lessard of South Milwaukee, WI; brother-in-law, Philip Tougas of South Milwaukee, WI; and many other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband in 2000; sons, Kenneth in 1996 and Richard in 2004; parents; brothers, Raymond, George, Vern, Kenneth, Walter, Harold and Robert Terry Lessard; and sisters, Marcella Tougas and Sharon Tougas.