Gwenneth Signe Wiegrefe passed away on November 29, 2025, at the Gundersen Harmony Care Center in Harmony, Minn., just a month shy of her 95th birthday.
She was born on December 26, 1930, to Lois (Zupp) Hogstad and Sven Hogstad, the second oldest in a family of nine children. She graduated from Huntley High School and later worked her way through college, first at Hamline University and then the University of Minnesota. Years later when her daughters were grown, she went back to get her BA degree at Mankato State University.
In September 1952 she married Lee Elroy Willmsen, who was killed shortly afterwards in Korea.
On December 1954 she married Paul Edgar Wiegrefe. They lived in Faribault, Minn., for 32 years and raised a family of four daughters with whom she shared her interests in sewing, quilting, arts, Hardanger, Rosemaling, gardening, sports (Minnesota Twins and Gophers), and travel.
Survivors include daughters Carol Wiegrefe, Rosemount, Minn., Dr. Sue Wiegrefe, Mabel, Minn., Linda (Ken) Erickson, Dublin, Ohio, and Karen (Jeff) Blackmer, Ankeny, Iowa; grandchildren: Elizabeth Blackmer, Ankeny, Iowa, Rebecca Blackmer, Ankeny, Iowa, Adam Erickson, West Chester, Ohio, and Blake (Maddison) Erickson, North Ridgeville, Ohio; brothers Wayne (Robyn) Hogstad and Ronald (Mary) Hogstad, sister-in-law Marion Hogstad, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three brothers, and three sisters.
She donated her body to Mayo Clinic for medical science and expressed a desire for no memorial service.
Special thanks to the staff at Gundersen Harmony Care Center, St. Croix Hospice, and Harmony Place (especially Tanya) for all the personal attention and wonderful care they provided.
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