Edith Brakken, of Montevideo, died on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at Abbot-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis at the age of 89.
Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 11:00 A.M. at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Rev. Donald S. McKee officiating. Interment will be in Kinkead Cemetery in Alexandria, MN.
Visitation will be Friday at the Anderson - TeBeest Funeral Home in Montevideo from 5-7:00 PM with a prayer service at 7:00 PM.
Edith Utoft Johansen Brakken was born on August 13, 1924 in Tyler, MN to Christian and Johanna Johansen. She attended Danebod Parochial School during the elementary years which was taught in Danish. She graduated from Tyler High School in 1942. She attended Grand View College in Des Moines, IA and graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Home Economics in 1946 and taught Home Economics in Kenyon, Minnesota. On July 18, 1948 she was united in marriage to Norman Brakken at Danebod Lutheran Church in Tyler, MN. They lived in Harmony, MN and Appleton, MN before moving to Montevideo in 1973. While primarily dedicating her energy toward her family and community, she continued to teach throughout the years in short and long term substitute positions. For the past seven months she lived at Meridian Manor in Wayzata, Minnesota to be closer to her family. As a Master Gardener and Flower judge, she received a Minnesota Horticultural Award for her many years of service. She was a member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, where she was involved with Senior Lights, Julia Circle, and sang in the Church and Ladies Choirs. She was very active in the Montevideo Garden Club and Minnesota Horticulture Society, and dedicated countless hours to the Chippewa County Historical Society particularly at Pioneer Village. Throughout her adulthood she played bridge and infiltrated the Sons of Norway despite the pride she took in her Danish American roots. She loved gardening, sewing, quilting, Danish cross stitch, and other crafts. She collected antiques and refinished furniture that graced her and each of her daughter’s homes. She was always well informed on current events and politics by daily listening to the 10 o’clock news, reading the paper and Newsweek cover to cover. She loved living in the country along the Minnesota River and going to the cabin on Lake Ida in Alexandria, MN. She was a keen observer of the birds and wildlife and particularly loved the hummingbirds. Growing up in the very Danish town of Tyler, she was proud of being a 3rd Generation Dane and infused her family life with various Danish traditions. She was a lifetime supporter of the Danebod Folk School attending the annual Folk School Fall Meeting her entire adulthood. More that anything else, she was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and loved seeing her children and grandchildren and following all their activities. She was known to her grandchildren for her Lefse, apple pie, Aebleskiver and chocolate chip cookies and the many thoughtful homemade Xmas gifts they received from her year after year.
Edith is survived by her husband, Norman; three daughters: Ellen Brakken and her husband John Fedorowicz of St. Paul, MN; Peggy Brakken Thal and her husband Steven Thal of Plymouth, MN and Dr. Jane Brakken and her husband Sean Bujold of Menomonie, WI; grandchildren: Christina (Jeff) Thaler of Minnetonka, MN; Lt. Sean (Emily) Thal of Ogden UT and Anna and Sarah Fedorowicz of St. Paul, MN; a great grandson, Ari Thaler; and two sisters: Esther Paulsen of Minneapolis, MN and Milda (and Orville) Ruud of Bloomington MN.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Johanna and Christian Johansen; a brother, Arild Johansen; a nephew, Tommy Johansen; a sister in law, Lu Johansen; and a brother-in-law, Howard Paulsen.