Janet Albrecht

Janet Elizabeth Albrecht (Schmidt) of rural North Mankato, age 81, Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to many. Jan passed away peacefully on March 28, 2016 following a sudden brain bleed on March 22. It was a long "Minnesota Goodbye". Jan was well known for her warmth, creativity, acceptance of everyone and for her incredibly caring and generous heart. Born in New Ulm Minnesota, she attended the University of Minnesota where she met the love of her life, her partner of 58 years, Ken Albrecht. She obtained her degree as an Occupational Therapist and worked in several places over the years sharing her healing gifts, including the VA, Immanual St. Joseph's in Mankato, Sister Kenny, Mayo Clinic, Abbott Northwestern, and Fairview Hospitals. She led a brain injury support group in Mankato and leant an ever-generous and supportive ear to many, many people wherever she went. The family operated a vegetable business for many years and Jan was a master at managing a warm and open home and was the best mother on earth! She had many artistic gifts including photography, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, book illustration, and cooking and was very generous at always sharing these gifts, even with strangers. Everyone that she met came away feeling cared for and better. She honed her professional specialty working with hand injuries and rehabilitation. She patented a splint and wrote a book that continues to receive global accolades entitled "Caring for the Painful Thumb". In recent years she traveled to give presentations of this work with Ken by her side. They especially enjoyed traveling by train. She loved her family; her husband Ken; two daughters; Elizabeth Schiferl (Rich), and Kirsten Riehle; six grandchildren, Jenica Domanico (Anthony), Alicia, Luisa, Sam, Simon and Annie; and especially her two great grandchildren Beckett and Briar.

She and Ken enjoyed participating in U of M alumni activities, growing things in the greenhouse and on the farm, spending time with their cats and listening to classical music. She was preceded in death by her parents Hans Carl Schmidt and Janet Helen Schmidt and recently by her only sibling, Robert Schmidt. She is mourned by everyone who knew her.

A memorial picnic is planned at the Albrecht farm in early summer. In lieu of flowers, Jan would love for you to be kind to others in her name. A fund using her book proceeds is being created to support a scholarship for aspiring hand therapists. Inquiries about the fund and any memorial contributions can be directed to [email protected]