Pauline Walle

Pauline Ann Walle, 84, died on January 16, 2021, at Arbor Terrace in Rochester, where she had lived for the last several years. Pauline was born in Duluth, MN, on January 23, 1936, to Michael and Josephine Walle. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother and sister. Pauline grew up on Minnesota's Iron Range, and graduated from Duluth East High School. Two junior high years at a boarding school in Old Frontenac, MN, instilled in Pauline a love of the bluffs and valleys of the Mississippi, a love she would carry with her the rest of her life. Explorations of towns and haunts on both sides of the river often showed up in her writing, years later. After high school, Pauline went on to pursue a degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota. Following graduation from college, Pauline worked as Women's Editor at the Hibbing Tribune, at the University of Minnesota/Duluth's news service, and started work at the Post-Bulletin in 1962 as Editor of the Society section. Her role evolved over the years, and she increasingly focused her writing on religion and the arts, along with stories on local residents and regional travel. She was a long-standing member of Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester, and was a loyal member of many local arts organizations. Her writing extended beyond the newspaper, and in 2010 she and friend Judith Smithson published a book of original poetry and illustrations titled Line Drawings: Poetry and Art on the Nature of Things. Ranfranz and Vine are handling funeral arrangements, and a private service is planned for a later date. Memorials may be made to the Rochester Symphony, the Rochester Public Library or to a charity of one's choice.