Andrea Diana Espinosa

Bagley, MN - Andrea Diana Espinosa died on Tuesday, December 29, 2020 in Bagley, Minnesota, following a long battle with cancer. She was 43 years old.

Andrea was born on November 9, 1977, in Poplar Bluff, to Tomas Espinosa, M.D., and Cheryl Wegman Espinosa.

Andrea was the granddaughter of Tomas Espinosa and Maria Josefina Alcaraz de Espinosa of Monterrey and Clement Anthony and Mary Anastasia (Nekula) Wegman of St. Louis, all deceased. She was also preceded in death by uncles Hector Espinosa of Monterrey, Richard Wegman (Paula) of St. Louis, and an aunt, Irma Espinosa de Garza of Monterrey.

Andrea is survived by her parents of Springfield, Missouri, a brother, Tomas Espinosa III, of San Antonio, Texas; aunts Fyrne Wegman Prendergast (Springfield), Sandra (Virgil) VanTrease (St. Louis), Paula Wegman (DeSoto, MO), Maria Guadalupe Espinosa de Sosa and Maria Elva Espinosa de Martinez, both of Monterrey, Mexico; cousins Robert Prendergast (St. Louis) and Sarah Prendergast (Springfield); cousin Shawna VanTrease (Diane Bell) and their daughters Caitlin, Allison, and Emma VanTrease (Oak Park, IL); cousin Erin VanTrease Glickert (Peter) and their daughter Dylan VanTrease-Glickert (St. Louis); as well as a large extended family of cousins in Monterrey, Mexico.

Following graduation from Cor Jesu Academy in St. Louis, MO, Andrea attended Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, and graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield with degrees in Technical Theater and Hospitality Management; she was a proud member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She later graduated from Northwest Technical College nursing program and worked as a registered nurse.

All available evidence suggests that Andrea never met a stranger. Never. She made friends wherever she went, and she did love to travel. Andrea and her family will be forever grateful to the friends who supported and encouraged her through her hard-fought battle with cancer, as well as Hospice of Red River Valley. Special thanks to Leah Plumlee, her husband Joe, and their family for their devoted care of Andrea as she negotiated the final challenges of her life; their kindness will never be forgotten.

Andrea shared her life-long love of musical theater via many memorable performances, most notably "Bloody Mary" in South Pacific, "Domina" in A Funny Thing Happened…, and "Ruth" in Pirates of Penzance. Her strong, clear voice and infectious sense of humor will be missed.

Andrea lived her life as a global citizen. Beginning at age 13 as a camper at Lago Del Bosque, her 30 year association with Concordia Language Villages (CLV) continued as a counselor, a chef, and a camp nurse, all in support of CLV's mission to build global minded communities. At Concordia, she mastered a wide range of culturally-authentic ethnic cuisines and found great joy in sharing her culinary artistry with others. Her kitchen was filled with laughter, song, and aromas that promised a delightfully memorable meal.

A celebration of Andrea's life will take place in Bemidji, Minnesota later in the year, when it is possible to gather safely to share a great meal, music, and memories. To be included in the invitation mailing list when plans are in place, please e-mail tcesp2@gmail.com or indicate your interest on Andrea's Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, Andrea suggested donations to Concordia Language Villages, 901 8th Street South, Moorhead, MN 65562.