Ramona Marguerite Polzin

Mankato Mortuary1001 N. Riverfront DriveMankato, MN(507)-388-2202On September 26, 2016 Ramona Marguerite (Sander) Polzin departed this life from Ecumen Prairie Hill in St. Peter, MN and was welcomed home by Jesus, her friend and Savior.  The cause of death was advanced Alzheimer’s. Funeral Service will be at 11am, Saturday, October 1, 2016 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Mankato with Rev. Mark Rosenau and Rev. Dr. James Pragman officiating. Burial will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Mankato. Visitation will be held from 4-7pm, Friday, September 30, 2016 at the church and one hour prior to the service on Saturday. Mankato Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements. Ramona was born in Arlington, MN to Rutherford L. Sr. and Meta (Heidmann) Sander on July 10 1931.  She was baptized in St. Paul Lutheran Church by Pastor Robert Heidmann, her maternal Grandfather, on August 4 1931.  On March 25 1945 she was confirmed in St. Paul Lutheran Church by Rev. John Bradtke.  In the spring of 1949 she began dating Kenneth Polzin from Waseca, MN whom she had met in the summer of 1948 at Camp Emmaus, a church camp in northern Minnesota.   In June of 1949 she graduated from Arlington High School.   In the fall of 1949 she began RN nurses training at Fairview Hospital’s School of Nursing in Minneapolis.  She interrupted training at the end of her second year in the spring of 1951.   On June 24 1951 she was married to Kenneth Polzin at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Arlington.   Ken was employed in engine service on the Chicago North Western railway out of the division point at Waseca and they lived there for the first nine years of their marriage.  Four of their five children were born there.  In the fall of 1960 the family moved to Mankato where they lived for fifty four years and their fifth child was born.  Having moved to Mankato Ramona and Ken became members of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.  Ramona was active in many areas of the congregation: Sunday School teacher, Pre-K, Elementary, Special Needs; the Library Guild, Secretary-Treasurer for many years; active in the various choirs; served on the Evangelism/Outreach Board; arranged for the making of Baptismal banners for the parents and child; active in the joint Lutheran Layman League/Young at Heart fellowships group; and actively took part in Sunday and weekday Bible studies.  She saw to it that their five children were well grounded in the essentials of the Christian faith.  Her husband began working as a research assistant at MSU in 1969.  During this time Ramona completed coursework at what is now South Central College for certification as a Licensed Practical Nurse.    Ramona was a loving wife and mother with a caring heart for family and those around her.  Early signs of Alzheimer’s began to appear in 2012 and in March 2015 Ramona and Ken moved to Ecumen Prairie Hill in St. Peter, MN where she spent her remaining days.  She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Polzin of St. Peter; children, Dr. Jeffery (Susan) Polzin of Black River Falls, WI; Daniel (Ceceli) Polzin of St. Peter; Susan (Rev. Mark) Rosenau of Owatonna, MN; James (Lisa) Polzin Eden Prairie, MN; Elizabeth (Gary) Elkington Houston, TX; twelve grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and two step-great grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Rutherford Jr. (Rudy) and Robert Sander. The staff and resident assistants at Ecumen Prairie Hill, the personnel at Bluestone and the St. Croix Valley Hospice nurses provided a level of gracious loving care that far exceeds our ability to adequately express our gratitude and thanks in words – You folks will never be forgotten by us. Memorials are preferred to the Echo Food Shelf in Mankato, the St. Peter Area Food Shelf or donor’s choice.