Bonnie Jessen McLaughlan

Bonnie Jessen McLaughlan, resident of Shakopee, Minnesota, passed away peacefully in the early morning Thursday, October 16, 2025, at the age of 91.
Bonnie's life and spirit will be celebrated on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at St. James Lutheran Church, 3650 Williams Dr, Burnsville, with a memorial beginning at 11:00 AM and a gathering of family and friends held one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will follow the service at St. James Fellowship Hall. She will be laid to rest next to her husband, James F. McLaughlan at the Sanford Cemetery, in the Rural Municipality of MacDonald, Manitoba, Canada, at a later date.
Bonnie is survived by her daughter, Jamie (Leo) Showalter; and 2 granddaughters, Janessa and Sabrina and many nieces and nephews in Canada.
She is preceded in death by husband, James Fisher McLaughlan; parents, Chester and Cora Jessen; brother, Lloyd (Betty) Jessen; and sister, Helen Findlay.
Bonnie was born in Winnipeg, Canada on December 5, 1933, and she grew up on a grain farm in Sanford, Manitoba Canada with many animals.
She attended the University of Manitoba and interned at Hamilton General Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario Canada as a dietitian.
Her first position was at Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis, MN for 10 years as a dietitian. Then moved on to St. Francis Regional Medical Center (SFRMC) as the dietitian and then later as the Director of Nutrition and Food Services. She worked at SFRMC for 28 years and volunteered for another 12 for a total of 40 years at SFRMC. While there she Was instrumental in opening the cafeteria and starting the mobile meals program for Scott/Carver counties. She was also instrumental in transitioning the nutrition and food service department to the present day SFRMC.
Bonnie enjoyed working in her yard, sewing, knitting and volunteering. She also became very involved in the St. Francis Auxiliary, rotating throughout various board positions.
Memorials preferred to:
*St. James Lutheran Church memorial fund
*Break Through T1D. (Formally Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes (Formerly JDRF))
https://www2.breakthrought1d.org/site/Donation2?df_id=23850&23850.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&utm_source=bing_cpc&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=FDRS_20240701_SEM_EG_BS_EM_Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes&s_src=bing_cpc&s_subsrc=FDRS_20240701_SEM_EG_BS_EM_Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes&msclkid=29df251ea8b41cafa4894dec2e431097