She was born Oct. 31, 1926, at Shooks, the daughter of Joseph and Opal (Young) Neft. She attended school at Shooks. She worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Minneapolis, and then moved to Wisconsin where she worked in a bakery. She then moved to Kelliher and in 1948 she married Don Kemmer there. They had seven children together. She married James Collins in 1977 at Kelliher. She worked as a waitress for more than 50 years for numerous restaurants in Kelliher. She last worked at Bradley's Cafe in Kelliher until the end of December 1977 when she stopped working because of her health.
She was a member of St. Patrick's Church, the St. Patrick's Christian Mothers and the Kelliher Garden Club. She was an avid bowler and she enjoyed crocheting, knitting, sewing, gardening and playing bingo. She also loved hunting, fishing and berry picking.
She is survived by her husband of Waskish; three sons, Ron Kemmer of Billings, Mont., Joe (Deb) Kemmer of Bemidji, Jeff (Krissie) Kemmer of Kelliher; three daughters, Susie (Gary) Nyberg; Deb (Jeff) Allison and Colleen (Dave) Ethen, all of Bemidji; 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; a brother, Leonard Neft of Williston, N.D.; six sisters, Agnes Gitzen of St. Paul, Leona Mayer of Wausau, Wis., Sister Nivard Neft of St. Cloud, Margaret Erickson of Grand Blanc, Mich., Rose Mary Smischney of Shooks, Mildred Olson of Deer River, Evelyn Leach of Kelliher.
She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary; her parents; and two sisters, Helen Hufnagle and Josephine Thums.
She was born Oct. 31, 1926, at Shooks, the daughter of Joseph and Opal (Young) Neft. She attended school at Shooks. She worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Minneapolis, and then moved to Wisconsin where she worked in a bakery. She then moved to Kelliher and in 1948 she married Don Kemmer there. They had seven children together. She married James Collins in 1977 at Kelliher. She worked as a waitress for more than 50 years for numerous restaurants in Kelliher. She last worked at Bradley's Cafe in Kelliher until the end of December 1977 when she stopped working because of her health.
She was a member of St. Patrick's Church, the St. Patrick's Christian Mothers and the Kelliher Garden Club. She was an avid bowler and she enjoyed crocheting, knitting, sewing, gardening and playing bingo. She also loved hunting, fishing and berry picking.
She is survived by her husband of Waskish; three sons, Ron Kemmer of Billings, Mont., Joe (Deb) Kemmer of Bemidji, Jeff (Krissie) Kemmer of Kelliher; three daughters, Susie (Gary) Nyberg; Deb (Jeff) Allison and Colleen (Dave) Ethen, all of Bemidji; 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; a brother, Leonard Neft of Williston, N.D.; six sisters, Agnes Gitzen of St. Paul, Leona Mayer of Wausau, Wis., Sister Nivard Neft of St. Cloud, Margaret Erickson of Grand Blanc, Mich., Rose Mary Smischney of Shooks, Mildred Olson of Deer River, Evelyn Leach of Kelliher.
She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary; her parents; and two sisters, Helen Hufnagle and Josephine Thums.
Family Members
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Helen Blondina Neft Hufnagle
1917–1993
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Rose Mary Neft Smischney
1919–2011
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Agnes Amanda Neft Gitzen
1920–2006
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Sr Nivard "Mary Ann" Neft
1922–2011
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Leonard Sylvester Neft
1924–2006
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Leona Sylvia Neft Mayer
1924–2022
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Josephine Christine Neft Thums
1928–1997
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Margaret T. Neft Erickson
1932–2021
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Mildred Marie "Millie" Neft Olson
1934–2015
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