FAIRMONT — Constance “Connie” I. Krahmer, age 78, passed away Thursday evening, May 30, 2019, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. Memorial services for Connie will be held 1 p.m. Thursday, June 6, 2019, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Fairmont, Minn., with burial following the service in Lakeside Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, 2019, at Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont, and one hour prior to services Thursday at the church.

Lakeview Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Fairmont is assisting the family with arrangements.

Connie (Mikkalson) Krahmer was born May 6, 1941, as the second daughter of John and Eleanor Mikkalson. She grew up on the Mikkalson family farm outside of Bricelyn, Minn., which she maintained all of her life. She loved her time attending school in Bricelyn, where she graduated in 1959. She maintained close friendships with her classmates for the remainder of her life. Actually, she maintained friendships with just about everyone she ever met.

Following high school, Connie attended the Swedish Hospital Diploma Program and became a registered nurse upon graduation in 1962. Connie continued working at the Swedish Hospital where she was proud to serve as the assistant head nurse until 1967.

After a blind date she never forgot, Connie was united in marriage to Fred C. Krahmer on Aug. 22, 1964, at the South Blue Earth Lutheran Church located near Connie’s family farm south of Bricelyn. From this union three children were born: Kristen Jo, Fred William and Cheryl Marie. Connie was ever the consummate mother and felt blessed to be able to do so full time while her children were in their most formative years.

In 1975, Connie returned part-time to the workforce as a Professional Services Review Coordinator at the Fairmont Community Hospital, where she was instrumental in starting the infection control position.

Throughout her life in Fairmont, Connie remained active in serving the community. One role particularly close to her heart was serving as a member and chapter manager of the Martin County Chapter of the American Red Cross. She contributed to the drafting and implementation of a formal disaster plan for Martin County, as well as training people how to respond to various disaster situations. Connie also served the American Red Cross on national disaster recovery projects, including traveling to central Red Cross offices to assist in the location of missing persons.

The American Cancer Society benefited from Connie’s work as well where she served as a regional director, state board member and attended national and state level meetings.

At the time of her death, she was serving on the board of directors of the recently created Profinium Dreams Foundation.

Throughout her life, Connie found comfort, direction and stability from her faith in Jesus Christ and his teachings of love, charity and peace. After being raised as a Lutheran, and much to her mother’s chagrin, she became a faithful and devoted member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church of Fairmont. She served her church in many different areas: lay reader, choir director and member, Sunday school director, guild member president and secretary, and junior and senior warden. In 1976, she began working in the Diocesan Episcopal Church Women organization, serving as Christian social relations chairman, finance committee secretary, president and vice president as well as serving on the constitution and bylaws committee.

While giving greatly to these charities and her church, Connie also worked hard in growing the Krahmer family businesses, creating and nurturing various ventures with her husband Fred C. Never one to shirk what needed to be done, she was fond to recall that she could do whatever needed to be done, including fixing a toilet stool with a paperclip. She was an essential voice and partner in the growth of the Krahmer Family businesses from 1965 to the present. All of the Krahmer Family business teams will dearly miss her kindness, generosity, and ever caring mind.

Once her children were grown, Connie felt blessed to enjoy international travel with her husband Fred C., including transformative trips to India, a banana plantation in the Cayman Islands, China, the Danube and Rhine rivers, South Africa, Norway (her native family home), the Caribbean, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon forest, New Zealand and Australia, the Black Sea, and of course Mexico. In Manzanillo, Mexico, Connie found her second home and a place of comfort. She enjoyed spending winters on the warm shores of Manzanillo, where she could watch the Pacific Ocean carry freighters across its great blue waters.

Of all that she ever loved or accomplished, family was held in the highest echelon of Connie’s heart and mind. She cherished each and every opportunity to spend time with her three children and her five grandchildren. Connie will be greatly missed by all of her family, for whom she was always willing to give fully of herself — giving care, lending an ear and helping to keep an eye out for the bright side of every moment.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Fred C. Krahmer of Fairmont, Minn.; children, Fred W. Krahmer and his wife, Shelly of Fairmont, Cheryl M. Krahmer of Fairmont; grandchildren, Ryan M. Rivers, Caitlyn M. Krahmer, Ella I. Krahmer, Collin J. Kain, and Max F. Krahmer; her brother Dale Mikkalson; as well as many other extended family and friends.

Connie was preceded in death by her parents, John and Eleanor Mikkalson; her daughter Kristen J. Krahmer; sister JoAnn Soma; and brother John Mikkalson.

The family requests memorials be left in Connie’s name to the American Red Cross, American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society.

www.lakeviewfuneralhome.net

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