Elsie Fagerholm, 91, Rochester

Published 9:00 am Sunday, September 8, 2013

Elsie Marie (Skaar) Fagerholm, 91, of Rochester, was born on April 5, 1922, on the family farm north of Hayward, one of four siblings, to Peder J. and Elsie (Lunde) Skaar. She died on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, at the Samaritan Bethany Home on Eighth in Rochester.

Elsie was baptized and confirmed in the Hayward Lutheran Church. She attended country school in the Hayward area and graduated from Albert Lea High School with the class of 1940.

Elsie Fagerholm

Elsie was active in the Hayward 4-H and brought projects to the Freeborn County Fair and Minnesota State Fair where she won the grand championship with her heifer. Following high school, Elsie attended the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1945. During their college years, Elsie and her twin sister, Margie, worked summers at Glacier National Park.

She married Robert K. Fagerholm on June 13, 1947 in Hayward. While raising a family they farmed near Wykoff, ultimately moving to Rochester in 1962. She returned to a career, working as the lead technician in an internationally known research laboratory at the Mayo Clinic, ultimately retiring in 1992.

Following retirement, she nurtured her legacy of family and crafted a multigenerational legacy of quilts. She also lovingly cared for her husband for 11 years at home following a disabling stroke.

Elsie Fagerholm

Survivors include her husband, Robert K. Fagerholm of Rochester; three sons, Peder Fagerholm of Kennesaw, Ga., Thomas (Marie) Fagerholm of Edmonds, Wash., and Robert J. (Sandy) Fagerholm of Stewartville; two daughters, Margaret Fagerholm (Mark Ehrlich) of Madison, Wis., and Katherine (Dennis) Burbank of Kasson; 11 grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren; and one sister, Solveig Sorenson of Geneva.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a son, one brother and one sister.

Private memorial dervices will be held.

Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes is located at 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester, 55901. It can be reached at 507-289-3600 or online at www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.