Nadine Susan Plowman, beloved mother, sister and cherished friend, passed away peacefully two days after her 83rd birthday on September 19, 2025, in Eagan, Minn.
Nadine was raised in Granite Falls, Minnesota by her parents, Elik and Edith Smith, along with her sister Ellen and her brother Bill. She graduated from Granite Falls HS and attended the University of Minnesota where she met her future husband, George Plowman. They married after graduating from the U and had four rambunctious sons (Matt, Jeremy, Nick and Andy) raising them in Harmony, Minn. There was never a dull moment in the Plowman home where Nadine was outnumbered five to one by boys (six to one if you counted the dogs). Nadine, a stay-at-home mom, seemed to always be at an activity and LOUDLY supporting one or more of her sons. She was not afraid to go to the school to advocate on behalf of her sons, to make sure they were treated fairly (in her eyes of course). The family also went on many unforgettable trips from the Wisconsin Dells to Florida to California. These trips created indelible memories that the family still talks about.
In 1991, with three out of four boys out of the house, George and Nadine moved to Prior Lake, Minn. Nadine entered the workforce in the retail industry where she quickly rose to manager. After George’s death and Andy’s graduation from high school in 1996, Nadine transitioned into living as a widow and an empty-nester, and began handling daily tasks independently, such as filling her car with gas, for the first time. She moved to Eagan, Minn., and found new ways to keep busy.
Nadine had an extremely strong network of friends who she frequently got together for a “bite,” a play, a movie, book club, vacations or just to talk. Nadine was a fiercely loyal friend to the end.
Nadine was also blessed to be a grandmother of nine and a great grandmother to two. She was a doting grandmother who liked to talk with her grandkids or take them to Barnes and Noble to pick out a few books. Like the rest of the family, she loved the Minnesota Gophers sports teams, particularly the University of Minnesota Gophers Men’s Basketball team. Despite having trouble with her mobility she attended her final Gopher Basketball game on December 29, 2024, and sat courtside. She couldn’t help but tell anyone who would listen how she was a 1964 graduate and that she was also there in 1972 for the Minnesota-Ohio State brawl on that very same court.
Nadine is survived by her sons Matt (Lisa), Jeremy, Nick (Tiffany), and Andy (Faith); her sister Ellen (Tom), her cousin Maxine, her grandchildren (Allyssa (Tim), Amanda (Jacob), Brandon, Mason, Tatiana, Ashley, Aidan, Sasha, Nathan); and her great-grandchildren Tyler and Alexis.
She was preceded in death by her husband George, parents Elik and Edith, her brother Bill, and her nephew, T.J. as well as many beloved canine companions.
A visitation will be held between 2-4 p.m. on October 22, 2025, with a short memorial service starting at 2:30 at The Commons on Marice, 1380 Marice Dr, Eagan, MN 55121.
In lieu of flowers, we request memorials to be donated to the Golden Gopher Fund at the following website: https://makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.html?id=1505502013505#0
www.cremationsocietyofmn.com
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