Mary Ellen Jordal

Jordal, Mary Ellen age 90, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 21, 2024. Mary Ellen was a pillar of strength and resilience, leaving behind a trailblazing legacy of leadership. She was especially revered for her commitment to elevating professional women. Mary Ellen grew up as an only child in Chippewa Falls, WI, where her upbringing was distinguished by her outstanding piano performance, humorously offset by her own acknowledgment of less-than-stellar choir performances. Mary Ellen's intelligence shone brightly at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, earning both her undergraduate and master's degrees within four years. While in college, she had her own variety show. After graduation, her career took her to Boston, Toronto, and Chicago, before she settled in Minneapolis in the early 1960s, a place she would call home for the next six decades. She enjoyed a long, successful career in the food business. It started in 1953 when she was chosen Wisconsin's Alice in Dairyland and traveled the country appearing on TV and radio shows touting Wisconsin's agricultural products. After her Alice year, she did the same promotional travel for Salada Foods. She spent the majority of her career at Green Giant where she was the first female vice-president and later the vice president of consumer affairs for Pillsbury. She was an enthusiastic role model and mentor to professional women specializing in public relations and consumer affairs. In 1963, in her childhood town of Chippewa Falls, she married the love of her life, Douglas Jordal. They remained married for 61 years until her recent passing. Together, they navigated the joys and challenges of life, raising three children and doting on five grandchildren with unwavering love, support, and guidance. Mary Ellen was generous, adventurous, and had a passion for travel. Along with her husband, she treated her children and grandchildren to many trips around the world. Together, they visited over fifty countries. They dodged lions in South Africa, fed the monkeys in Costa Rica, conquered the camels in Morocco, and traversed the winding roads along the Amalfi coast. Mary Ellen was always the last to go to sleep and the first to wake up. Her unwavering support knew no bounds. She was an avid philanthropist founding the speech and debate program for Monona Grove high school and crusading for the American Cancer Society. She leaves behind an indomitable spirit, and the profound impact of leading by example. As a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, her story will continue to inspire those who were fortunate enough to know her. She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Emma Jenks, and daughter Juliette Jordal. She is survived by her husband Doug; daughter Joy (Glenn); son Jared (Karen); and grandchildren, Perry & Colette (Bruder); Cole, Alex, & Amber (Jordal), each of whom had a special place in her heart. In lieu of flowers, her family requests donations to the Marie Sandvik Center, a cause dear to Mary Ellen and Doug's heart. A visitation will be at Washburn-McReavy Funeral & Cremation Services, 5000 West 50th Street, Edina on Thursday, April 11, from 4:00-7:00 pm and a celebration of life at Wooddale Church, 6630 Shady Oak Road, Eden Prairie on Friday, April 12, at 11:00 am with visitation beginning at 10:00 am and a luncheon to follow. Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996

Tributes

Mary Ellen Jordal

October 4, 1933 - March 21, 2024

Tributes

Mary Ellen Jordal

October 4, 1933 - March 21, 2024

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