Jeanette (Jan) Milne, age 77, of Preston, Minn., lost her battle with dementia with her daughters by her side, and surrounded by the love of her family on October 23, 2024, at Brookdale Assisted Living in Edina, Minn.
Jan Lee Pfister was born in Preston on November 25, 1946, to Lenard and Patricia (O’Shaughnessy) Pfister. She was a lifelong resident of Preston, and graduated from Preston High School in 1964. After high school, she attended college in Minneapolis to earn her LPN nursing license. On October 26, 1968, she married the love of her life, Richard Milne. In the early years, they lived in four states until 1980, when they moved back home to Preston.
After returning to Preston, Jan worked at Methodist Hospital for a short time. When Ridgeview clinic opened in Preston, she worked as a nurse for many years until its closing. Her next opportunity to serve others came when she began working for Fillmore County Public Health as the WIC Coordinator until retirement. Supporting and caring for the children and their parents gave her much joy.
Jan was very involved in the community of Preston. She served on the ambulance crew with Rich for many years. Jan was also an active member of Christ Lutheran Church. Some of her activities included working the Lutefisk dinner and being a part of the Service Group. She was a member of the Preston Ladies Auxiliary and served in a number of roles on the board over the years.
She loved being near the water. She made so many memories on the Mississippi River exploring the sand bars and canoeing on the Root River with family and friends. Her favorite week of the year was our annual family trip to Lake Osakis. Jan had many different hobbies through her life including cross stitching, gardening her flowers in her backyard, and morning walks with her friends. She also enjoyed weekly social functions such as Tuesday morning coffee and dinner at the golf course in the evening. And of course, Wednesday nights at the Branding Iron and Friday night happy hour at The Club.
Jan is survived by her daughterd Mara (Corey) Strand and Jodi (Dusty) Trochlil and their children Aiden and Ronan Strand, and Taylor and Tanner Trochlil; brother Kent (Shari) Pfister, Trish (Steve) Allen, brother- and sister-in-law Phil and Sandy Milne, brother-in-law Ron Pederson, many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Richard, her parents Lenard and Pat Pfister, her mother- and father-in-law, Donald and Margaret Milne, brother and sister-in-law Joel (Teresa) Pfister, her sister Tracy Conlin, and her sister-in-law Sharon Pederson.
The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Christ Lutheran Church in Preston, with Pastor Kris Hertsgaard Kincaid officiating. Burial will be at Crown Hill Cemetery in Preston. Visitation will be held from 11am – 1pm at the church prior to the service on Saturday. For those of you who cannot make the service, it will be broadcast on Christ Lutheran Church’s Facebook page.
The family would like to thank all the care staff at Brookdale Assisted Living in Edina and the amazing Hospice team of CareTenders for the love and support over the past two years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Jan to the Alzheimer’s Association, Christ Lutheran Church, Crown Hill Cemetery or an organization of your choosing.
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