Gertrude (Mary) Tolvstad

Gertrude {Mary} Tolvstad Gertrude {Mary} Tolvstad, 88, peacefully made her transition to heaven in the early morning hours of January 29, 2024. Mary was surrounded by her husband, Steve, and two children, Mark, and Amy, during her final moments on earth. Mary and Steve met in high school in Holmen, WI and were high school sweethearts for 68 magical years. Married in 1955, just out of high school, Mary and Steve spent time living in Germany while Steve served in the Army before eventually moving to Minneapolis in 1959. She spent the majority of her life in the Twin Cities, making lifelong friends that became much more like family. Mary had a gift for making friends EASILY everywhere she went! She was the ultimate hostess and could make someone "new" feel like instant family. She was welcoming and caring with a heart that continuously expanded for anyone she met. She loved being surrounded by family and friends, entertaining and keeping everyone in her life well-fed, specifically with her delicious baked goods! She had a knack for baking, which included her famous cookies and chocolate cake, a gift she lovingly passed down to both of her granddaughters. Mary had a unique talent of finding out what your favorite sweet treat was, and once she knew, she would make sure to have it for you the next time she saw you! In addition to baking, she loved knitting and crocheting. She blessed many, many babies over the years with her lovely creations. She was also good at keeping her family in cozy warm scarves! Mary was incredibly lucky at cards. She had the most incredible poker face! Her sweet and gentle exterior hid her competitive & strategic side very well. Her family would often joke about when the cards came out, so did Mary's alter-ego! Mary loved to travel and visit iconic places across the United States. She and Steve took many long road trips together throughout the years. She was particularly fond of road trips so they could enjoy "the journey", and not just the destination, finding hidden gems everywhere they went. In her final days, she recalled very distinct memories from their travels, reminiscing with her family about some of her favorite places. She was fortunate to travel to 49 states throughout her lifetime! Mary's grandchildren were the loves of her life. She had a flair for making ordinary things in life extraordinary, especially for them. Andrew will treasure his memories of his grandma patiently helping him set up his train set, watching cartoons together, and her helping him to make Norwegian cookies for one of his middle school classes. Lynne has the fondest memory of playing "store" for hours with her grandma with travel sized toiletries Mary had collected from many of her and Steve's travels together. Emma will always remember how Grandma would serve her ice cream (before dinner!) in an extra special flower shaped bowl, every time she was at her house. Collin remembers always having a small "surprise" gift whenever he was at grandma and grandpa's house. She would always make him her oatmeal cookies, his absolute favorite. Mary is survived by her forever high school sweetheart Stephen Tolvstad, her "favorite son" Mark Tolvstad (Cherie Johnson Tolvstad), her "favorite daughter" Amy Tolvstad Mrozek, grandchildren Andrew Tolvstad, Lynne Tolvstad, Collin Mrozek, and Emma Raye Mrozek, and many beloved nieces and nephews that she held so dearly in her heart. She is preceded in death and welcomed into eternal life by her parents Charles Van Loon and Mabel Van Loon, and each of her siblings; Marshall (Eunice) Van Loon, Curtis (Beverly) Van Loon,Neal (Kathleen) Van Loon, , Gladys (Merlin) Paudler, and Gayle Van Loon. Mary was a sweet, yet remarkably tough lady, who fought an incredibly difficult battle against multiple strains of breast cancer and other serious health issues over the last few years. She bravely tackled each ailment head on as they came to her until God called her home. Days before she passed, Mary requested that her loved ones celebrate her and the beautiful life she lived. To celebrate her life, family and friends will gather on Friday, April 19, 2024, from 3-6 pm at Washburn McReavy in Bloomington, MN. The family has requested donations to be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in lieu of gifts.

Tributes

Gertrude (Mary) Tolvstad

January 8, 1936 - January 29, 2024

Tributes

Gertrude (Mary) Tolvstad

January 8, 1936 - January 29, 2024

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