Jean Kelm, of Montevideo, died on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at the Chippewa County Montevideo Hospital at the age of 77.
Funeral services will be conducted on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Pastor Marie Eckberg officiating. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery.
Jean LaVonne (Belsaas) Kelm was born July 20, 1937 in Camp Release Township, Lac qui Parl County, MN the daughter of Palmer and Myrtle (Swenson) Belsaas. She was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Boyd. Jean graduated from Boyd High School in 1954. She worked as a nurse’s aid and ward clerk at the clinic and later the hospital in Montevideo until retiring in 2002. Jean shared her life with Robert “Swede” Zempel. He died September 20, 2008. She enjoyed playing cards with her aunt and cousins. Jean was a caregiver and loved gardening, watching birds, and tending her flowers.
She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia (and David) Hunter of Apple Valley, MN; two brothers: Gerald (Doris) Belsaas of Minneapolis, MN and Robert (Lori) Belsaas of Belview, NE; two sisters: Janet (Richard) Carlson of Mountain Home, AR and Avis Bayerkohler-Swan of Lake City, MN; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were her parents; her companion Robert Zempel; and a sister, Linda Olson.