Lynae Sondreal
Published on June 4, 2008, Grand Forks Herald (ND)

Lynae Sondreal, 55, of Sedona, AZ, formerly of Grand Forks, ND died on May 29, 2008 at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Phoenix, AZ.

Lynae Sondreal was born July 15, 1952 in Grand Forks, ND the daughter of Robert and La-Verne (Stinar) McMenamy. She grew up in Grand Forks and graduated from Grand Forks Central High School in 1970. She worked for Western Potato as a payroll clerk.

Lynae married Bruce Teigen in Grand Forks. She moved to Tacoma, WA to attend Business College and moved back in 1980. She worked for PS Doors and McMenamy Tavern.  She married Bruce Sondreal in Grand Forks.  She worked at the Gold and Silver Exchange and Generous Jerry's as a bookkeeper.  She then worked for Leighton Broadcasting as an office manager.  Lynae moved to Sedona in December of 2007 where she worked at Poco Diablo Resort.

She is survived by her mother LaVerne of Grand Forks; 1 brother Michael McMenamy of Grand Forks; 1 sister Jeanne (Greg) Breidenbach, of Reynolds, ND; 3 nephews Larry and Joe (Jenny) Breidenbach and Jason McMenamy; and 1 niece Katelyn McMenamy. 

She is preceded in death by her father Robert.

Angels all around you
Published on May 23, 2009, Grand Forks Herald (ND)

A procession of 11 vehicles, all different colors including bright pink, yellow, silver and red, winds its way through downtown Grand Forks, crosses the Sorlie Bridge and turns into the Whitey's parking lot.

In the rear window of each car is a decal in bright letters that says "Angels All Around You."

The words, the cars, their drivers and the restaurant can all be tied to Lynae Sondreal, who died during Memorial Day week last year. 

Sondreal's friends said she made everyone feel like they were her very best friend.  When it came time to say goodbye, Sondreal would often say, "Angels all around you."  She would say it to co-workers who became friends at PS Doors, the Gold and Silver Exchange, Generous Jerrys and Leighton Broadcasting.

Even when Sondreal moved to Sedona, AZ, during Christmas 2007, her friends remained close.  June Duray also was living in Sedona at the time.  After the two saw the movie "The Bucker List," they felt inspired to climb nearby Bell Rock.  "We both looked at each other and said, 'We're not in Kansas anymore,"  Duray said.  "It was literally a mountain-top experience, especially the fear of trying to make it back down."

The fear turned all too real in April 2008, when Sondreal was treated for a rapid heart rate. "The next thing you know, things started to shut down," Duray said. Sondreal had contracted the rare heart disease giant cell myocarditis, an inflamation of the heart muscle that often goes undiagnosed and is often fatal.

She began writing in a notebook her wishes and gift cards to be given after her death to her family, her church, youth groups and her honorary casket bearers:  her friends.  Sondreal died May 29 at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix.  Soon afterwards, all 11 casket-bearers received a card from Lynae with a note from her mother, LaVerne McMenamy, and sister, Jeanie Breidenbach, saying what a great friend each was.  Also enclosed was a check from Sondreal's estate. 

On July 15, Lynae's birthday, the recipients surrounded her gravesite in Memorial Park Cemetery South with multi-colored bouquets.  "We all sat in the sunshine sharing stories," Duray said.  "We laughed so hard that we cried and then cried so hard that we laughed."

Duray remembered when she and Sondreal worked on their "bucket lists" together.  "On my list was to buy a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, a car I always wanted and got with the gift of her money,"  "In her memory, in bright yellow letters in the back window I put her favorite saying: 'Angels all around you.'"  The friends loved the idea and had the decal made up for their cars.