Joloyce Ann Falgren

Joloyce Ann Falgren of Mankato passed away peacefully on April 2nd, 2024, at the age of 86, surrounded by her loving family. 

Jo was born on October 19, 1937, in Hudson, SD, to Floyd and Mabel (Hagen) Larson. She was raised on a farm near Canton, SD, and loved her baby lambs and cows. She attended country school and high school in Canton, graduating in 1956. After graduating, Jo attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English. This is where she met her husband, Jon A Falgren.  They were united in marriage on July 26th, 1959. They began their teaching careers in Jeffers, MN and soon moved to Windom, MN. They had two children, Jed and Jill, who were the light of her life. 

Windom is where she met her extended family and lifelong friends. The bonds established in Windom remained strong for the remainder of her life.

In 1977, they moved to Austin, MN. She continued teaching at Austin High School as a special education teacher. In 1980, she earned her master’s in special education at Mankato State University.  Her love and passion for teaching was evident in her encouragement to students “to be your best”, which was a gift that touched many of her students’ lives. 

Jo’s greatest love and joy was her family. After Jon’s passing in 1995 and her retirement in 1998, she moved to Mankato in 2000 to be close to her family. She took great delight in watching her children and grandchildren grow up and being a big part of their lives. She was an exceptional grandmother and took great pride in her grandchildren’s achievements. She loved being front row for all the choir concerts, plays, and sporting events and was their biggest fan. She also enjoyed treating the family to yearly vacations including Battle Lake, Black Hills, Duluth, Chicago, and the Wisconsin Dells. The memories of these trips will forever be in our hearts. She also was able to take a trip to visit family and friends in Norway. She had a strong faith and was an active member of Christ the King of Mankato. She loved singing in the choir. She was a lifetime member of Sons of Norway and an active member of PEO. She loved playing bridge and enjoyed her Saturday morning coffee with all of her very special lifelong friends. Every spring her passion for flowers bloomed again as they surrounded her wherever she lived. 

Left to love, honor, and cherish her memory is her son, Jed (Michelle) Falgren of Mankato; daughter, Jill Hewitt (John Willenbring) of Inver Grove Heights, MN; grandchildren, Brianna Falgren (Reggie LeFlore), Kelly (Ben) Herzog, Abby Falgren, Joey Falgren, Jenna Hewitt, Daniel Hewitt, Bennett Radloff and Braedon Radloff; niece and nephews, Rick (Gayle) Johnson, Cyndi (Brad) Johnson and Daron (Laurie) Johnson along with their 10 children.

In addition to her parents, Jo was preceded in death by her husband, Jon Falgren, and sister, Jane Johnson. 

Memorial service will be held at 11 am on May 9th at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Mankato, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Visitation services will also be held from 5-7 pm on May 8th at Northview-North Mankato Mortuary.

Special thanks for the loving care she received from the staff at Pillars of Mankato, and for the countless expressions of love from her friends and family over the years. Memorials are preferred to the P.E.O. foundation, Christ the King Lutheran Church or the Alzheimer’s’ Association.