Grace Birkholz, Grace’s life journey ended at the age of 91 at Shakopee, MN on June 17, 2014. Grace, daughter of John and Lena (Julius) Conraads, was born on Friday, March 30, 1923, at her family home in Big Stone Township, Grant County, South Dakota. She was baptized in the Christian faith on June 7, 1925. She was confirmed at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Odessa, MN on July 20, 1945. She attended rural school at Big Stone School District #2. During her early childhood years Grace and her siblings worked with their parents on the family farm. This was only the beginning to her strong work ethic and family values that carried through her entire adult life and so wholeheartedly shared with others.
On Sunday, January 7, 1945, she was married to Ervin Birkholz at the Trinity Lutheran Parsonage in Odessa, MN. Following their marriage the two engaged in farming in Milbank, SD. They also farmed in Norcross, MN until April 4, 1956 when they auctioned the farm and moved to Ortonville, MN. While living in Ortonville, Grace did housecleaning, worked as a laundress at the local nursing home and worked in production at the Big Stone Cheese Factory. She also briefly worked in assembly at Carlson Dolls in Milan, MN. She resided in the Ortonville area until the early 1980’s when she moved to the metropolitan area to be near her children. On May 2, 2009 she fell and broke her hip and spent the remainder years at St. Gertrude’s Health & Rehabilitation Center in Shakopee, MN.
Left to cherish her memory are her 2 daughters – Joann (Jerry) Koehn of Prior Lake, MN and Sharon Bachmeier of Prior Lake, MN; 2 sons – Marlin (Linda) Birkholz of Lakeville, MN and Arlyn (Nancy) Birkholz of Orono, MN; 10 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; 1 great, great grandchild; godchild/niece, Karen Cameron, of Fleming Island, FL and many nieces and nephews.
Preceding her in death were: Infant daughter, Judy Kay (1949); husband, Ervin (1973); parents John (1938) and Lena (1981); 5 brothers, John (1928), Theodore (1929), Fenno (1938), George (1938)and Henry (1969); 3 sisters, Fannie Birkholz (1992), Martha Dickinson (2010) and Marie Dirksen (2013); 2 sons-in-law, David Nolting (2002) and Gerald Bachmeier (2011).
Celebration of life services will be held at the Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home in Shakopee, MN on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at 3:00 P.M. Visitation will be held at the funeral home prior to ceremony from1:30 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Interment will be at the Mound Cemetery in Ortonville, MN. Pallbearers will be Brent Bachmeier, Brad Bachmeier, Craig Birkholz, Daniel Birkholz, Brandon Mapes, Dylan Bachmeier, Benjamin Reine, Cary Lewis.
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FROM THE FAMILY: Thanks to all who shared in our mother/grandmother’s CELEBRATION OF LIFE! In our hearts she will always remain A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! ! !
Family of Grace Conraads Birkholz.
The Birkholz family is served with honor, care and compassion by Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation Services, Shakopee Chapel.
