Maurice Gene Cote passed away on Wednesday, August 21st, at 8pm, surrounded by family at Benedictine Living Community in Crookston, MN.
Maurice was born on September 23rd, 1936, to Aristide and Agnes Cote at home in rural Terrebonne Township in Red Lake County, Minnesota. He grew up on a farm just outside Terrebonne, Minnesota, where he was raised in a family of seven children with two sets of twins.
Maurice attended school in Terrebonne until his early teens, he left school early to work on the family farm and for neighbors. He continued to work on the farm and other various jobs until he enlisted in the US Air Force as both an aircraft sheet metal repair specialist and aircraft refueler.
While serving in the Air Force, Maurice married the love of his life and our mother, Dorene Champagne. Maurice and Dorene were united in matrimony on January 4, 1958. He served his full term in the US Air Force and re-enlisted in the Air Force Reserves until honorably discharged. He would often speak very highly of his years serving in the Air Force, telling stories of his time refueling aircraft mid-flight. He would also point out that he could bend sheet metal better than most others-pointing to the aircraft grade aluminum toolbox he handcrafted while serving.
After his service in the Air Force and Reserves, Maurice and Dorene relocated to the Milwaukee, WI area, where he worked in manufacturing. Maurice and Dorene eventually settled in Racine, WI, where he built his own house for their family of six children they had at that time. He was extremely proud of the house he built with his own hands, telling me, my siblings, or anyone else who would listen about the hardwood floors and how well they shined, and how wonderful his hand-seeded lawn looked compared to his neighbors who used sod.
Maurice and Dorene relocated back to Minnesota and bought a farm near Mentor, MN, where they farmed and worked outside the farm until retirement. Instead of building a new house, he and Dorene added an addition and remodeled the entire house to fit their family of seven children. He also tackled many other projects to improve his farm, such as relocating another barn to the farm, building a new steel shed, and planting too many trees for us kids to care about watering every summer. However, he loved his new trees.
There are no words for how much we love and will miss you. We know that you are with Mom, Scott, your family and friends who went before you. We will all miss you so much already, thank you for all you did for us. We all love you.
Maurice is preceded in death by his wife Dorene (Champagne) Cote, his son Scott Cote, granddaughter Samantha Cote, parents Aristide and Agnes (Thibert) Cote, his brothers Joseph and Vern Cote, his sisters Irene Dessellier and Erma Normandin.
Maurice is survived by his children, Rodney Cote (Rochelle) Oslo, MN; Marc Cote (Dorie) Sauk Rapids, MN; Nancy Lindquist, Oslo, MN; Mary Ann Anderson (Bruce) St Michael, MN; Barb Yanish (Dave) East Grand Forks; Jim Cote (Kim) Mazeppa, MN; MN; sister Mae (Cote) Trepanier, and brother Myron Cote; grandchildren, April Henriksen (Jason), Ryan Anderson (Christine), Adam Lindquist, Aimee Cote (Kevin Barry), Jacob Cote, Emily Cote, Brady Anderson, Alyssa Cote, Stephanie Yanish, Danny Cote, Cody Yanish, Christian Cote, Annie Bea Cote and eight great-grandchildren along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends.
Graveside Celebration of Life for Maurice will be held 12:00 PM on Saturday, August 24th at the Saint Anthony of Paudua Cemetery in Terrebonne, MN. A small luncheon to precede after the celebration of life at the Terrebonne Community Hall located down the street. The service will be officiated by Deacon John Bruggeman, St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Red Lake Falls, MN.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to either one of these organizations that the family has chosen:
Benedictine Living foundation
BenedictineLiving.org/Giving/Memorials-Honorariums/
or
St Anthony Cemetery
Attn: Doug Derosier (Sexton)
21969 140th Ave SE
Red Lake Falls, MN 56750
(Cemetery upkeep and maintenance – check only made payable to and mailed to)
