Amalia "Mollie" Paschke

The heart of our family entered her everlasting home on January 6, 2023. We rejoice that she is now reunited with her parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and countless friends.

Amalia Elesa Hovda was born on May 23, 1931 to Amalia (Bengtson) and Thaulow Hovda. She was the youngest of eight children raised on the family farm near Grand Meadow, Minnesota. Here in this closeknit family, and at the skirt of her Norwegian Mother, Mollie developed her great gift of building and maintaining lifelong relationships.

Mollie was baptized and confirmed at Bear Creek Lutheran Church where her family worshiped for generations. She spent her first 8 grades in a one room school house where she was the only student in her class. Mollie attended high school in Grand Meadow, made lifelong friends and was voted Home Coming Queen. At Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Mollie and some of her classmates shared challenges and friendship in pursuit of their nursing education. This included studying Mental Health and Obstetric Nursing at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital, an experience Mollie never forgot. These women called themselves The Sensational Seven and sustained a close bond throughout their lives.

Mollie and Howard met through their mutual friends, June and Paul Matheson, who arranged for them to become pen pals while Howard served in the army in Korea. A year later they met, fell in love and were married April 3, 1954 at Bear Creek Lutheran Church.

They began their life on a farm south of Blue Earth. Here Mollie became an active member of Immanuel Evangelical United Brethren which later became Immanuel United Methodist Church. She was involved in the busy and diverse work on the farm, raising their five daughters and creating a beautiful, fun and peaceful home for her family.

Mollie continued her nursing career at the Blue Earth Hospital. She worked in all areas of the hospital back in the day when the lone R. N. on a night shift was responsible for all the patients as well as any emergency that might come in. Mollie was also an integral part of Dr. Anderson’s original Critical/Cardiac Care Team when this was a relatively new specialty. Later, Mollie became the Director of Nursing at St. Luke’s Lutheran Home where she worked for several years.

Mollie’s guiding principal was her love for God. She truly lived her faith and was a gifted servant whose hands and heart touched many lives. Mollie loved and accepted everyone with open arms. Included in her ministries were teaching Sunday School, being a nurse at Bible Camp, Meals on Wheels, Gideon’s International Auxiliary, and Interfaith Care Givers.

Some of Mollie and Howard’s adventures took them to Switzerland, Paris, France and other parts of Europe, South Korea, and China where they smuggled Bibles. They also spent several years as UMCORE Volunteers on various Caribbean Islands participating in repair and construction efforts after hurricanes. Here again Mollie shared her faith in action and developed friendships. She always traveled with her first aid kit and her curling iron so she could attend to her compatriots’ minor injuries and keep them looking good.

Mollie had an open and curious mind. Above all she was kind and loved to have fun. Among her favorite things were people, especially babies, good conversation and laughter while sharing a cup of coffee, color, quilting, entertaining, and all things in nature particularly flowers, bodies of water, sunsets and trees, of which she planted hundreds throughout her life.

Mollie is remembered for her positive energy, and for her beautiful smile and twinkling blue eyes.

Preceding her in death were her parents and her beloved siblings and their spouses, Betsy and Mel Anderson, Meg and Bob Close, Herman and Margaret Hovda, Oliver and Carol Hovda, Buddy and Gretchen Hovda, Freida and Harold Jensen, and Sky and Donna Hovda.

Mollie is survived by her husband of 68 years, Howard Paschke, daughters and sons-in-law, Lehlia Paschke, Deborah (William) Manske, Betsy (Chris) Preus, Amalia Olson, Gertrude Paschke, 13 grandchildren, Adeline Burtt, Hans Burtt, Amalia Groh, Joshua Manske, Bjorn Olson, Kaia Preus, Annika Ewert, AnnaLise Manske, Eliana Harris, Aeli Olson, Maxwell Preus, Signe Olson, Haakon Johnson, 7 great-grandchildren including Amalia V, her cherished nieces and nephews, sisters-in-law Kay, Doris and Dar, and chosen daughters Kathi Sanz and Becky Stene.

We will forever be grateful to our caregiver, Helen Bells, who has been a Godsend to us these past many months, to our friend and wonderful nurse, Brenda Anderson, and to Friendship Manor in Shakopee. You blessed us beyond measure and we believe you were the place Mommy chose to spend her final hours.

A Celebration of Mollie’s life will be held Saturday, February 11 at Hope United Methodist Church in Blue Earth. Visitation will be at 1:00 with the service following at 2:00.