Mary Ann Ammentorp, age 88 of Cannon Falls, died on Monday, October 14, 2024. Mary graduated from Carleton in 1958 and returned to serve the college for 35 years. She retired in 1999 as the Secretary to the Vice President and Treasurer.
Mary was born on February 28, 1936 in Oak Park, Illinois, the only child of Frederick and Louise (Berhold) Brusenbach. She grew up in Oak Park, Illinois majored in English and graduated cum laude. While at Carleton, she met her soulmate and life partner William “Bill” Ammentorp, whom she married on August 20th, 1958.
Mary was an accomplished pianist, and taught many young Cannon Falls girls and boys to play the piano. She was a devoted wife and loving mother. She shared Bill’s love of the family farm in Cannon Falls, devoting many hours to the farm’s beautiful flower garden. Plants sensed her warmth and kindness and blossomed under her fingers. She was a gracious hostess and provided delicious food which fueled the conversation and revelry of the farm’s frequent and varied visitors. Mary preferred to sit back and let visitors enjoy talking with Bill, but she was witty and could hold her own in any conversation. She was an Anglophile and read many English books and magazines. She particularly loved World War II history, and Winston Churchill was her hero.
In her later years, Mary’s great joy was her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with whom she spent long hours playing Yahtzee and board games. She also played with her granddaughter Sarah and the other grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the dollhouse that Bill had made for her. The grandchildren treasure these precious memories of her.
She is survived by her son, Matt and his wife, Sandra of Hudson, WI; daughter, Marnie and her husband, Curt Jorenby of Cannon Falls; grandchildren, Sarah (Eric) Hedstrand of San Francisco, CA, David Ammentorp of Minneapolis, John Ammentorp of Hudson, WI, Will Jorenby of Seattle, WA, and Ben Jorenby of Cannon Falls; and great-grandchildren, Layla and Connor Ammentorp. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Bill on February 4, 2023.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 27 at 2:00 pm, with visitation from 1-2 pm, at Lundberg Funeral Home, 5839 Hwy 19 Blvd, Cannon Falls. Read her full obituary.
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