Frances Mary Lange

Frances Lange, age 97, of Mankato, MN, died Sunday, February 21, 2016 in Mankato.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Mankato with Reverend Tim Reker officiating. Rosary will be said prior to the Mass. Celebration of Life and burial at Calvary Cemetery in St. Peter, MN will be held in July. Mankato Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.

Frances was born in Hoven, SD on July 7, 1918, to Mathias and Mary (Pickart) Hoven; the town of Hoven, SD was named after Frances’s great-grandfather, Peter Hoven. She was the tenth of sixteen children. Frances grew up in Hoven, SD and moved to Le Sueur, MN in 1939. She married Justin Lange on September 23, 1941 at the Church of St. Peter in St. Peter, MN. They lived in St. Peter and Kasota, MN until they moved to Mankato, MN, in 1968. She was a homemaker for many years and also worked at Ben Martell’s Restaurant in Le Sueur, MN, Casbere & Norberg Restaurant in St. Peter, MN, Hillside Club in Kasota, MN, and Brinktuns in Le Center, MN. She retired in 1983 after working at National Poly Products in Mankato, MN for 15 years. After retirement, she did volunteer work driving people to shop and to appointments, at Echo Food Shelf, Surplus Food Giveaway at the Mankato Armory, Hillcrest Nursing Home, and quilting at St. Joseph the Worker. She worked part-time from 1993-2009 at Taco Johns in North Mankato, MN. She was a member of St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, Eagles Club, and VFW Post 9713 Ladies Auxiliary. Frances enjoyed playing bingo, dancing, bus trips to Jackpot Junction, cutting stamps for the VFW from envelopes collected at area businesses, and spending time with family.

Frances is survived by five children, Diane (Frank Burg) Hanson of North Mankato, MN, John (Karen) of Dassel, MN, Patricia (Gary) Wintheiser of North Mankato, MN, Brian (Jody) of North Mankato, MN, and Mary Walter of Phoenix, AZ; grandchildren, Brad (Ximena) Hanson, Cheri (Chris Carnahan) Hanson, Rick Hanson, Travis (Sarah) Lange, Michelle (Tom Hewes) Westberg, David (Cindy) Wintheiser, Nathan Wintheiser, Bobby Jo (Jim) Fitterer, Andrea (Mike) Collins, Justin Lange, Vanessa Lange, Nichole (Kyle Taylor) Walter, Chris Walter; 15 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-granddaughter; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Justin, in 1974; son, David, in 1958; son-in-law, Sonny Hanson in 2009; grandson, Andrew Layton, in 2013; 7 brothers; and 8 sisters.