An overflow crowd of Minnesota political heavyweights, media figures and musicians gathered Wednesday in Minneapolis to remember Eleanor Mondale Poling as a hard-charging, compassionate wisdom-seeker who faced death with courage and candor.

The minister "said she knocked her head around a lot to find wisdom," brother Ted Mondale said after the memorial service at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral. "I thought that was very deep and very true."

Poling was a TV reporter and radio personality, she dated rock stars and pro football players, and she knew her way around the White House because her dad was vice president. She died Sept. 17 at age 51 after a long, public battle with brain cancer.

Her remains were in an urn in the front of the sanctuary near her parents, former Vice President Walter and Joan Mondale. Sen. Al Franken sat between Gov. Mark Dayton and Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The crowd of more than 1,100 included WCCO personalities Dave Lee and Don Shelby and such Mondale-era politicians as Wendell Anderson and Arne Carlson. The music community was represented by members of Prince & the Revolution, the Suicide Commandos and the Suburbs, a band fronted by Poling's husband, Chan Poling.

The program began with a recording of "Eleanor and Chan's Wedding Waltz," written by her husband for their wedding at St. Mark's in 2005. It ended 90 minutes later with -- at her request -- the New Standards, Chan Poling's current trio. He sat this one out as John Munson on ukulele, accompanied by vibraphonist Steve Roehm, performed "Silver Stallion," an old country song about a woman with a horse and a sense of adventure.

In his eulogy, William Mondale spoke of his sister's passion for animals and their welfare. "She saved animals just like people save receipts," her younger brother said. "It was just instinct to her."

Eulogist Susie Jones, Poling's WCCO Radio partner, described her friend's many facets. "She could be the most glamorous woman on the planet," Jones said, "and then would come to the station with her farm boots on, with mud and poo on them."

Poling's career took her to Chicago, Los Angeles and back home, where she co-hosted a program with Jones from 2006 to 2009. Among her gigs were reporting jobs with E! Online, CBS' "This Morning" and ESPN, covering horse racing, and small acting parts in "Three's Company" and "Dynasty" and in such movies as 2004's "Mirage."

After the service, Ted Mondale said the family has been heartened by the outpouring of support.

"I'd walk the skyways and people would say, 'Excuse me. I really like your sister because she gives me hope for my brother,' " he said. "She had a following that was deeply personal. She had 140,000 responses on her CaringBridge page the first day. And Dad read them all."

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