Jean Martinson

Jean Martinson, age 91, of Upsala, MN, died Thursday, January 21, 2016, at Golden Horizons, in Pine City, MN.
A Memorial Service was held Monday, January 25, 2016, at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala, MN, with Rev. CJ Boettcher officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date in the Elmdale Lutheran Cemetery in Elmdale, MN.
Jean Gwendolyn Hanson was born on July 3, 1924, in Little Falls, Minnesota the daughter of Geoffrey & Olga (Jacobson) Hanson. As the result of her parents’ death at a young age, Jean was raised by her grandparents, H.A. and Annie Hanson. She graduated from Upsala High School, Class of 1940. Jean then attended St. Cloud State Teachers College where she received her teaching certification. She later attended Bemidji State College where she received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Jean taught in a number of schools which included 30 years at Mizpah Elementary (now known as Northome School). She was united in marriage to Gerald Martinson on December 28, 1944, at Elmdale Lutheran Church in Elmdale, MN. The couple lived in Minneapolis until 1949 and then moved to Mizpah, MN. In 1988, she moved back to Upsala and in 2010 moved to an assisted living facility in Pine City. Jean was a long-time member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala and was active in the Upsala Historical Society. She also received the Morrison County Senior Citizen of the Year award. Jean enjoyed gardening, sewing, crafts, traveling, jigsaw puzzles and especially spending time with her daughter and grandchildren.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Ann (Charles) Mans of Hinckley, MN; grandchildren, Jean (Pete) Tass of Forest Lake, MN, Elaine (BJ) Clinton of Anchorage, AK, and Jeffrey (Alison) Mans of St. Clairsville, OH; two great grandchildren, Carter Tass and Hailey Clinton; her five godchildren, Richard Griffith, Tom Griffith, Lyn Sowieja, Pat Lembcke, and Robert Griffith and niece and nephews, Arlys Zepper, Neil Donat, Alan Donat and Myles Donat.
Jean was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gerald (1982); sister and brother-in-law, Lois (Leslie) Donat; sisters-in-law, Edna Martinson and Evelyn (Walter) Lovine; and brother-in-law, Laurie Martinson.