Juanita Seffens

Juanita I. Seffens, age 90, of Willmar, died Monday morning, December 7, at her residence following an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Thursday, December 10, at the First Baptist Church in Willmar. Interment will be at Cloverleaf Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 P.M. on Wednesday, December 9, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.

Juanita Irene Seffens was born on August 4, 1919, in Bancroft, Iowa, the daughter of Olaf and Lilly (Hunsigker) Olson. At the age of 8, she moved to Willmar with her family and graduated from Willmar High School in 1937. On September 28, 1938, Juanita was married to James M. Seffens. They lived in the Willmar community where she worked at the Willmar State Hospital and Puritan Cafe as a waitress. From the mid 1960's to the mid 1970's, she owned and operated the Dorm Cafe and then worked at Jennie-O Foods, retiring in 1995. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Willmar and active with the M.O.P.S. program. Juanita enjoyed crocheting, quilting, gardening baking and cooking.

She is survived by five children, Betty (and Jim) Himmelspach of Prinsburg, Bea Haney of Willmar, Jolene McGee of St. Paul, Virginia Burton of Minneapolis and Mitchell Seffens of St. Paul; thirteen grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. Also surviving is one brother, Andy (and June) Olson of Willmar, besides other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, James in 1997; one son, Gerald in November of 2008; three brothers, Charles, Wayne and Raymond; one sister, Evana; and two sons-in-law, Moses McGee and Darrel Haney.