Lenora A. Behrens

 

Lenora Adeline Behrens, age 91, of Wheaton, Minnesota passed away Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at the Traverse Care Center in Wheaton, Minnesota.

Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church in Wheaton, Minnesota with Rev. Dan Gifford officiating. Organist will be Sara Lee Rinke with a musical selection from Ben Dale. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service time at the church. Burial will be in Wildwood Cemetery, Wheaton.

Lenora was born June 21, 1932 the third of seven children born to Margaret (Allis) and Marvin Krosch. The family lived on a ranch near Glendive, Montana in Dawson County. In 1939 drought and the depression forced the family to return to Minnesota where they settled on a farm near Alberta. Lenora was confirmed at the local Methodist church, attended country school, and in 1950 graduated from Alberta High School.

In 1952 Lenora married Vernon Behrens, and the couple farmed in Leonardsville Township, near Dumont, Minnesota. Together they had three children: Janice, Randall and Gail. She loved caring for her family, homemaking, farm life, baking and quilting. The couple were active members of St. John Lutheran Church in Dumont.

Some of Lenora’s favorites were sunsets over Lake Traverse where the couple owned a cabin, snowmobiling with the neighbors, reading about and traveling to the “Old West”, and sharing her baked goods and flowers. Her passion was cooking for the people she loved on occasions large and small.

She enjoyed showering her six grandchildren with unconditional and generous love. They have countless memories of adventures with grandma. At every stage of their lives her goal was to make them know they were special.

In 1981 Vern and Lenora moved to Wheaton and Lenora worked as a housekeeper for many years. She especially loved changing and enlarging her backyard gardens during those years.

When he was in his eighties Vern suffered a lifechanging stroke. Lenora bravely faced the years after her husband’s stroke and remained a constant caregiver until his death in 2015. Lenora’s last years were spent at Traverse Care Center in Wheaton. Her legacy will be generosity, hard work, faith, humor and full tummies.

Lenora is survived by her children: Jan (Lowell) Dale; Randy (Karla Nooman) Behrens; and Gail Behrens; her sisters: Norma Olson and Sandra Nordstrom; grandchildren: Joshua (Brooke) Behrens; Melissa (Corey) Granum; Kayla (Bill) Schmidt; Jonathan (Tiina Manne) Dale; Benjamin (Julia) Dale; and Maggie (Luke) Wilcox; twelve great-grandchildren; and other extended family, nieces and nephews.

Lenora was preceded in death by her parents, husband Vernon, four brothers: Gordon, Marshall, Craig and Duane; and great-grandson Connor.

The family would like to thank the staff at Traverse Care Center for their compassionate care and support.