Camilla Ione Reiersgord

Camilla Ione Reiersgord Age 92, Camilla passed away at home in St. Louis Park, MN on October 10, 2025. She had been in hospice care for 3 ½ months following dementia. Camilla was born in Minneapolis on December 26, 1932. She was predeceased by her parents Ellen (Peterson) and Karl Langguth, her first husband Thomas Reiersgord and her second husband Dr. Arthur Klassen. Camilla is survived by her sisters, Mona Walz and JoEllen Hurr; brother-in-law Paul Reiersgord; children Diane Ellen Kontar (Yevgeniy), Susan Camilla Khatri, Robert Thomas Reiersgord, Julia Mae Reiersgord (Lee), and stepdaughter Rebecca Maddaus; grandchildren Nick, Samantha, and Jackson Khatri; step granddaughter Katia Kontar; cousins, nieces, and nephews. Camilla graduated as valedictorian from Marshall High School in 1950 and went on to earn a pre-med degree magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota in 1953, where she was president of Kappa Phi, a Methodist sorority and elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After deciding to withdraw from medical school and working for Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati, she returned to Minneapolis to marry Tom Reiersgord on March 28, 1954. She earned an additional degree in education in 1955. After Tom's graduation from law school in 1956 they moved to Hallock, MN for four winters where she taught in Kittson County. The family of five moved to St. Louis Park in 1960. Camilla enrolled in law school at the U of MN when her children were in grade school and then taught chemistry at Hopkins High School. After she did not get hired for a permanent teaching job in science due to her sex, Camilla returned to law school and graduated in 1970. She was one of ten women in her law school graduating class and was a founding mother of Minnesota Women Lawyers. Camilla practiced law together with her husband for decades, specializing in probate and elder law. She also provided pro bono legal services for Tubman and Emma Norton Services. Camilla was deeply engaged with her community. She served on the Board of Trustees at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church where she was an 80-year member and volunteered at their Dignity Center. She was an evening program president for the Minneapolis AAUW, a member of the Woman's Club, and volunteer at the Ard Godfrey house. Her interests included gardening, investment clubs, estate sales, books, and music. She was known for her delicious caramel rolls and Swedish fruit soup. Camilla traveled to Sweden with her mother, toured India with her church, and made multiple trips to Europe and Russia. After her husband Tom died in 2003, Camilla met Arthur Klassen at church in a grief support group. They married in 2007 and lived more than 15 good years together before his death in 2022. When Arthur became ill her daughter Diane and son-in-law Yevgeniy moved to her home to care for Camilla until her death. She loved to be driven around Lake Harriet and enjoyed many concerts there. She was grateful for the loving caregiving provided by Diane and Yevgeniy and help from the Park Nicollet hospice team. Camilla was hardworking, devoted, brilliant, beautiful, and generous. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 7 at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Ave. Minneapolis, with visitation at 10, and a reception following the service in the Art Gallery. Service will be livestreamed at http://haumc.org/live Private interment at Lakewood Cemetery. Memorials to the Langguth Sisters Scholarship at the University of Minnesota Foundation (https://z.umn.edu/LangguthSistersScholarship).

Tributes

Camilla Ione Reiersgord

December 26, 1932 - October 10, 2025

Tributes

Camilla Ione Reiersgord

December 26, 1932 - October 10, 2025

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