Jean Ann Fryer, 85
Published 6:51 am Friday, July 6, 2018
Jean Ann (Klingsporn) Fryer, 85, died at St. Mark’s Living in Austin, Minnesota, on July 3, 2018, succumbing to the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Jean Ann Fryer, 85
Jean was born on Nov. 19, 1932, in Rochester, Minnesota, to the family of Albert and Alice (Harvey) Klingsporn. She was raised on her parents’ farm near Douglas, Minnesota, with her siblings, Albert Jr. (Pat), Betty (Ernest) Rothen, Richard (Grace), Gloria (Dale) Wittlief, Marilyn (Jerry) Mahoney, James, Larry (Marsha), Maurice (Dianne), John and Cynthia (Wayne) Kiehne.
Jean fondly remembered her family, the cows, pastures, fields and woods around the farm and riding the “doodle bug” train from Douglas to Rochester over what is now the Douglas Trail.
Jean graduated from Rochester High School in 1951. She married Robert Fryer on June 20, 1953. They lived in Rochester and Austin and had a family of 10 children, Daniel (Karen), Michael (Turi), Patrick (Debbie), Jacqueline Jean (Joe) Sheedy, Collette (Mike) Koll, Peter (Julie), Mary (Ken) Semet, James (Jody), Benjamin (Kim), and Jennifer (Jeff) Reinartz; 29 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
She and her husband built their dream house in the Duschee Creek valley near Lanesboro in 1995 and lived there over 20 years. Grandma Jean will be warmly remembered for teaching her children and grandchildren how to find beauty in the world, from sweet wild berry jam on homemade bread to line-dried laundry and that even the tiniest, pickiest plant will bloom with a beautiful flower when treated with patience and grace.
She was preceded in death by her parents, six siblings; Albert, Richard, Gloria, Larry, Maurice, and John; and daughter, Jackie.
A funeral Mass for Jean Fryer will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Monday July 9, 2018, at St. Edward’s Catholic Church. There will be a 3 p.m. CCW rosary on Sunday at Mayer Funeral Home where friends may call from 3-6 p.m. and also one hour before the service at the church on Monday. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery.
Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Condolences may be left online at www.mayerfh.com
