Angeline Dufner

(Mary) Angeline Dufner

- - Due to weather conditions, the Mass of Christian Burial at Sacred Heart Chapel in St. Joseph has been changed to 10:30 AM Saturday, April 13th. Visitation will begin at 9:00 AM with a service of sharing memories at 9:30 AM for Angeline Dufner, 83, who died on Friday, April 5, at Quiet Oaks Hospice House, and burial will be in the monastery cemetery.

(Mary) Angeline Dufner was born on the family farm near Buxton, North Dakota on November 30, 1935, the eldest of five children born to Esther (Hensen) and Hubert Dufner. She attended a one-room country school a half-mile from her home for grades 1-8.

As a youngster, Angeline helped her father on the farm by driving a team of horses to rake hay in the field when she was barely able to reach the foot controls. Later, as a teenager and beyond, she often drove the truck during harvest time. She enjoyed working outdoors and being part of a team project.

Her high school years were spent at Mount St. Benedict Academy in Crookston, Minnesota, where she graduated as valedictorian. At the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) she majored in English and was editor of the school's literary journal.

After teaching high school English in Albany for four years, she returned to CSB where she taught for 36 years. Earning an M.A. at Notre Dame and a Doctor of Arts at the University of Pocatello in Idaho, she was a revered colleague in the English Department. She was a demanding and effective professor who made a lasting impact on many of her students. Due to health issues, she retired from teaching in 1997.

Angeline was a firm believer in the value and necessity of community. She worked with Sister Phyllis Plantenberg to found the St. Joseph Farmers' Market, which opened in 2000. She saw the market as a way to build community, ensure fresh, healthy food for local consumers, and give local producers direct contact with their neighbors and buyers. Building on this experience, she went on to write a Farmers' Market manual for the state of Minnesota.

Angeline was a strong proponent of Catholic social teaching, with its emphasis on the common good. She chaired the Social Justice and Ministry Committee of St. John the Baptist Parish in Collegeville fora number of years and facilitated parishioners' participation in the microfinance program of Catholic Relief Services. More recently, she helped to create this year's parish Lenten program focused on the care of creation. She delighted in all of God's creatures—flowers and birds, and especially Dickens, her cat of thirteen years.

Family gatherings were highlights of Angeline's year, especially at Christmas time, when she played Santa for the gift exchange. She enjoyed entertaining family and friends with humorous stories, and hearty laughter typically followed.

She was an avid reader on a wide range of topics. For the past few years she belonged to a Thursday morning faith sharing group. She cherished these times, reading a spiritual book together and sharing what it meant to them.

She is survived by four siblings: Donald (Sylvia) Dufner of Buxton, ND, Sister Delores Dufner OSB of St. Joseph, MN; Lucy (Chuck) Rieland of Fridley, MN; and Hugh (Carmen) Dufner of Moorhead, MN; plus nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Memorials may be made to the Dr. Angeline Dufner Endowed Scholarship at the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN 56374.