Jeannette Juanita Torgusen age 88, of Mankato, passed away on May 8, 2020, at Cottagewood Senior Living in Mankato, MN, where she had been a resident since July of 2019, following a massive stroke in August of 2018. Due to Covid 19, the Visitation will be private. The funeral will be held live from Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home Friday May, 15th 2020 at 11am officiated by Pastor Mary Iverson of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Wells, MN. Viewing of the service can be done at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home’s Facebook Page live at 11:00am. Please see www.brussheitner.com to leave online condolences. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells is in charge of arrangements.
Jeannette was born in Minnesota Lake, MN, on September 19, 1931 to William and Martha (Werner) Beyer. She graduated from Minnesota Lake High School in 1949, and worked at the local bank. She met Lawrence Torgusen in High School and they were married in November 1953. Lawrence joined the Army and they were in Chicago for a short while and then came back to Minnesota Lake in 1955 where they had 6 children and lived until 1970. Jeannette was a homemaker and worked for Nordaas American Homes. In 1970 they moved their family of 8 to Dell Rapids, SD where she worked for the Singer Sewing Company in Sioux Falls, and the local bank in Dell Rapids, until 1975, when they moved to the Mankato area. From 1975 to 2009 she was a bank teller and teller supervisor at 3 Mankato Banks, and then retired at age 78. Her years of banking brought her close to so many in the community. Customer service was very important to her and getting to know her customers through kindness was how she achieved it.
Jeannette had an inspiring passion for gardening and the Minnesota Twins. She loved family reunions and a chance to get in the boat and do some fishing. She loved bowling for many many years, was an active member and spent several years in leadership at the Morson Ario Strand VFW Auxiliary in Mankato for over 30 years and the American Legion Auxiliary in Minnesota Lake for Decades more. She was an avid reader until her stroke. Above all, Jeannette’s kids, grandkids, and great grandkids were the light of her life. Not to mention her siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Her grand puppies Autumn, Bogart and Sophie loved when she was in the house to spoil them.
Jeannette leaves behind 4 of her 6 children, son Peter (Nancy) Torgusen of Dell Rapids, SD, son Mark Torgusen of Jackson Hole, WY, daughter Mary Torgusen of Mankato, daughter Debra (Carl) Clark of Sioux Falls, SD and daughter in law Diane Torgusen of New Ulm. She leaves behind 11 Grandchildren, Trista, Peter III, Ashley, John, Jessica, Alise, Eric, Simone, Olivia, Courtney and Caitlin and 10 Great Grandchildren, Tyson, Lexi, Evelyn, Mason, Bryce, Genevieve, Cameron, Weston, Jordan, and Lucy. She is also survived by her sisters Joyce (Marlin) Krohnberg, Judy (Jim) Purdie, and Linda (Glen) Purdie and her brothers Bill (Sue) Beyer and John Beyer.
Jeannette is now reunited in heaven with her Parents, her husband Lawrence (1992), her 18-year old son John (1978), and her 54-year old son Paul (2012)
If you are in the Mankato area, and want to give a gift of flowers, please stop by and plant an annual in one of the flower pots, or just leave them in the flowerbed, and drop a note in the watering can at Mary’s house in honor of Jeannette. Mom would be overjoyed to watch love grow in her flowerbed. 106 N Plainview Avenue, Mankato.