WEST SALEM — Beatrice Anita O’Connor, age 90, of West Salem passed away peacefully on April 20, 2013, in La Crosse.

She was born on March 7, 1923, in Whitehall to Axel and Matilda Sedahl. She married Joseph O’Connor on March 29, 1945, in Peoria, Ill., and they later divorced.

Beatrice’s interests included cooking, sewing, crafting and gardening. She was proud of her Norwegian heritage and traveled to Norway in her later years. She was employed as a cook at Fort McCoy and Onalaska High School. She was a seamstress at Charlotte’s Bridal for many years. After raising a family she returned to school earning an LPN degree and worked until retirement at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in the rehabilitation department.

She is survived by six children, John (Phyllis) O’Connor, Kathy Nichols-Clark (Robert) Clark, Patricia Lambert, Maureen Mc Lean, Sharon (Jeffery) Smutny, and Lori (Donald) Ramey; 10 grandchildren, Sarah (Jeremy) Burkart, Michael (Lisa) Nichols, Christine (Scott) Davis, Tara Lambert, Sean Mc Lean, Amy Olson, Scott Smutny, Kimberly Smutny, Ryan (Audra) Keeney and Elizabeth Hickey.

She had 27 great grandchildren, Ethan O’Connor, Lochlaun Burkart, Adam, Holly, Emily, Allie Nichols, Eric, Jessica Davis, Ashley, Riley Peabody, Caitlin Lambert, Cheyenne Niedfeldt, Brent, Cody Hansen, Nathan Olson, Breaden, Lilly, Davin, Isabell, Sophia, Quinten, Hadassah, Roman Keeney, Kyle, Jamie, Haley, Alex Hickey; and, one great-great grandchild, Esmae Richards. She is also survived by her sister, Phyllis (Dorsey) Harris of Bothell, Wash.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Phillip Sedahl.

Memorial service will be Friday, May 10 at Coulee Region Cremation Group in Onalaska. Visitation will be 9:30 to 11 a.m. with service to follow. Burial will be at Rest Haven Cemetery in Blair. Pastor Donald Stein will officiate. Coulee Region Cremation Group is assisting the family.