Nancy Ehlen
Feb. 22, 1939-Dec. 7, 2024
Sartell
Beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Nancy Ehlen died peacefully Dec. 7 at the age of 85. She was a gentle, kind and humble woman who loved her family endlessly. Her faith sustained her through life’s trials and tribulations. She relied on the power of prayer and her relationship with the Poor Claire and the Franciscan Sisters for strength and guidance.
Her funeral was Jan. 10 in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Sartell. The Rev. Timothy Baltes officiated and burial was in the parish cemetery.
Nancy was born Feb. 22, 1939 to Judd and Elizabeth (Lyons) Frederiksen in Winona, Minn. Ehlen was the oldest of three children. Her father was a dentist and her mother a dietician. At an early age, she witnessed firsthand their commitment to the local community. Ehlen particularly looked to her mother as her mentor. She was involved in their church, the local hospital, the American Heart Association and her local P.E.O. organization. Their example set the foundation to which Ehlen would carry on the legacy of giving back to her church and community throughout her lifetime.
Growing up in Winona, Ehlen was involved in Girl Scouts and began volunteering as a hospital candy striper. After graduation from high school, she spent her first year of college at Cottey College in Missouri. The following year she transferred to the University of Minnesota and enrolled in the pre-medical program, graduating with degrees in both chemistry and zoology and was accepted into medical school. However, after graduation she decided to go to work in medical research. Following that decision, she married Dr. Charles Ehlen. Nancy and Charlie fondly referred to themselves as “medical gypsies,” moving more than 19 times before settling down in St. Cloud in 1972 to raise their five children.
In 1986, Ehlen began a career working for the American Heart Association. It was a great fit for her. She enjoyed the three main facets of work which included education, public relations and fundraising. After her third year she was recognized as the Employee of the Year for the American Heart Association in Minnesota.
Throughout the years, Ehlen not only raised five children and worked outside the home, she also found time to volunteer and give back to her community. In her church, St. Francis Xavier of Sartell, she founded the hospitality committee and was a school volunteer. She was a Cub Scout leader and worked on the annual Boy Scout Lawn Social fundraiser. She was very active with the Stearns-Benton County Medical Alliance, serving as secretary, vice president and eventually president. During this time the Alliance began pre-school screenings in St. Cloud public schools, and they instituted a car seat program at the St. Cloud Hospital. Ehlen also played a key role in conceiving the idea of Smoke-Free 2000, the basis for smoke-free policies and legislation today.
Starting in the 1980s, Ehlen was a key leader on the Great River Road Designation, which secured bike paths from the Rice Bridge to the Sauk Rapids Bridge on Stearns CR 1. She was a patron of the arts, supporting United Arts in St. Cloud and numerous other arts organizations in the region. She served as a board member of the Chamber Music West in Phoenix. Ehlen was an accomplished photographer, displaying her work in many venues throughout the region. Her other passions included gardening, hiking and travel.
As a board member of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation from 1989-98, she created and chaired the first public relations committee of the Foundation. She also served on the Arts Grant Committee and was a founding member of the Good Samaritan Committee. As a board member, she understood firsthand the need for administrative support dollars and was one of the first to create a named endowment to support the long-term operations of the foundation. In recognition of her truly outstanding leadership, the Central Minnesota Community Foundation honored her with the 2009 Individual Award in Philanthropy.
Ehlen raised her family and lived in the Sartell-St. Cloud area for more than 30 years. In the late 2000s, she began to spend time in Bemidji and Arizona. She also loved spending time with family in Montana each year. She traveled frequently with one of her 12 grandchildren on an Intergenerational Elderhostel, making everlasting memories with each of them.
Survivors include the following: her children: Cathy Brutger of Little Falls, Fred Ehlen of Cold Spring, Betsy Ehlen of Palm Harbour, Fla., Steve (Kelli) Ehlen of Sartell; daughter-in-law Katy Ehlen, Hamilton, Mont.; sister Karen (Denny) Neumann, St. Augustine, Fla; 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by: her parents, her son, Paul Ehlen, and her brother, Neil Frederiksen.
A sincere thank you to the Moments Hospice Team for the excellent care and kindness Nancy received and to her longtime assistant Donna Reardon for her care and commitment throughout the years.
In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to Quiet Oaks Hospice House or Moments Hospice of St. Cloud.
