Jean M. Roeder

Jean M. Roeder, 91, passed away on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at Edgewood Vista in East Grand Forks, MN.

Jean Syvertson was born November 20, 1927 to Selmer and Florence Syvertson in Dickinson, ND.  Jean’s father was a teacher, school principal and superintendent.  The family lived in different towns in North Dakota and Minnesota until her father took the job as caretaker of the Concordia College farm near Inkster when Jean was in her early teens.  After she graduated high school in Inkster, she attended Mayville teacher’s college to get her teaching certificate. 

She taught in a one room school near Inkster until she married Clarence "Casey" Hanson, farmer & rural mail carrier.  They had five children.  Jean took care of the home and helped Casey on the farm.  She was very active in the Presbyterian church and in the community.  Everyone knew Jean for her baking skills.  The house was always full of friends and relatives. When her children were a little older, she volunteered at the hospital in Grand Forks.  She also joined a bowling league in Larimore.

Casey died in 1973 and Jean lived on the farm in Inkster until she met and married Norman Roeder, a dairy farmer in Thompson in 1978.  She joined Holmes United Methodist Church and again was very active in the church.  When the beanie baby craze began, she started a small business buying beanies and Barbie dolls and selling them at local and regional shows.  She was a member of the Grand Forks doll club.

She is survived by her husband, Norman; sons, Greg (Debbie) and Kent (Lynne) Hanson; daughters, Linda, Laura and Carla; sister, Elaine Sundin; four grandchildren, Kasey (CJ) Hanson-Barnes, Evan Hanson, Shane (Karla) Roch, Ryan (Dee) Roch and one great-granddaughter, Sophy Roch.

Jean is preceded in death by her parents; brothers, James, Carmen, Robert “Bob” and Selmer “Dave”; sister, Betty Muir. 

Funeral Services will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at Holmes Methodist Church in rural Reynolds.

Visitation will take place on Wednesday, November 20th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Amundson Funeral Home 2975 S. 42nd St. Grand Forks, ND 58201.  The visitation will continue the hour prior to the service in the church.

Interment will be in the Holmes Church Cemetery.