Aurelia Alma Ailie Hemmila, 94, of McGregor, MN, peacefully passed away on Thursday, July 17, 2025. She was born on May 18, 1931, to Waino and Ailie (Parviainen) Mikkola. Born and raised in Cromwell, she graduated with the class of 1949. Aurelia married George Hemmila on August 2, 1952. For 33 years she worked at East Lake Co-op Store as a cashier, pumping gas, doing office work and in the feed store. For a time, she cooked for the residents of Pioneer Villa in McGregor, while attending classes to be a commercial cook. Serving as a teacher’s aide for Wright Elementary School brought her much joy as she loved working with the children. She helped neighborhood girls in 4-H with sewing projects and loved being with people. Her hobbies were collecting recipes and cookbooks, cooking for friends and sewing. Aurelia was a resident of Carefree Living in McGregor since June 17, 2019. She was proud of her Finnish Heritage, having much SISU.

Aurelia is preceded in death by her parents; husband, George Hemmila; sister, Andrea Mikkola; brothers-in-law, Wesley Heikkila and Seppo Lipponen.

She will be missed by her daughter, Barbara (Jim) Johnson; granddaughter, Sara (Lew) Manglos; grandson, Adam Johnson; great-grandson, Alex Manglos; great-granddaughter, Ailie Manglos; sisters, Ann Heikkila and Adelia Lipponen; and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.

The family would like to offer a special thank you to the staff of Carefree Living and to St. Croix Hospice for their compassionate care.

Visitation: 1 pm on Friday, July 25, 2025, at Atkins-Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th Street, Cloquet, MN 55720, with a Memorial Service beginning at 2pm. A time of fellowship will follow the service, and a private family burial will take place at the Rice River Cemetery at a later date. To sign the guest book and offer an online tribute, see www.AtkinsNorthlandFuneralHome.com