Leslie A. Jirik

Celebration of Life will be 2pm on Friday, May 30, 2025 at Williams Dingmann Funeral home in Sauk Rapids for Leslie A. Jirik, age 73, of St. Cloud who passed away on Sunday, May 11, 2025 at Talamore Senior Living in St. Cloud. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services on Friday at the funeral home in Sauk Rapids. Burial will follow at St. John's Abbey Mausoleum at 4:15 PM.
Leslie was born on April 2, 1952 in St. Paul, MN to Frank and Bette (Wright) Gaertner. She grew up in Blaine and graduated from Coon Rapids High School in 1970. She then moved to Pierz, then Little Falls, then finally St. Cloud. Leslie married Frank Jirik in St. Augusta on August 22, 1998. Leslie worked for Fingerhut in the collections department for 20 years. Outside of work, Leslie loved animals, gardening, cleaning, dancing, music, playing bingo and anything that involved family time, such as camping, watching movies, celebrating holidays and being outdoors. She was an energetic, organized, hardworking person who loved to make others smile with her great sense of humor and funny faces.
Leslie is survived by her children, Steve (Sunita) Reber of Waite Park, Joe Nelson (Jennifer Leeman) of Princeton, and Greg Nelson (Daniel Fernandez) of St. Cloud; grandchildren Erik, Connor, Chaeli, Bryson, and Brynnlea; daughters-in-law, Patty Stone of Remer and Jessica Nelson of Upsala; brothers and sisters, Terry (Betti) Malloch of Prior Lake, Gemma Gaertner of Coon Rapids, Bruce Gaertner of Wyoming, MN, and Steve (Karin) Gaertner of Andover.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Frank on July 26, 2013; and daughter, Roberta.