Minnie L Pfingsten

Minnie was born on May 26, 1920, and peacefully passed away on April 12, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was one of five kids who walked multiple miles to school each day carrying their lunch pails, milked the three cows, and—while they didn’t have “real toys”—entertained themselves with their sleds. In her early years, she traveled to California, New York City, and the World’s Fair. Her claim to fame was her three appearances as a dancer on The Lawrence Welk Show. She was 17 when she began working as a nurse at St. James Hospital and found her calling in caring for others. In 1950, she met and married the love of her life, Elmer. Together, they had five kids, who gave them 11 grandkids and 11 great-grandkids. Minnie enjoyed dressing the girls in their dresses and polished shoes to have dinner as a family. Life in the Pfingsten house was never boring with the farm, the five kids, and Minnie’s menagerie of rescued and adopted animals, including cats, dogs, goats, birds, rabbits, and pigs. As Minnie and Elmer grew older, they braved the elements to watch local grandkids at sporting events. They treasured moments spent celebrating holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. They carved out time for family that was farther away and made many trips to warmer locations like Texas, California, and one of her favorite places, the Virgin Islands. Minnie played cards with her sisters for many years, and as the years went on, she introduced her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids to the game Phase 10. She would shake her finger at you when you had a good hand and then encourage you to “stick it to ’em” when someone else was in the lead. Minnie had a very sentimental side, keeping cards, tickets, programs, kids’ art projects, and other meaningful things that reminded her of those she loved. She had a unique way of helping each person, she connected with feel heard, understood, and loved. She loved flowers, gardening, birds, and the color pink. She also got to witness her favorite sports team, the Chicago Cubs, win the World Series! She couldn’t get enough family time and spent countless hours baking throughout the year. The most special tradition was her famous Christmas brunch with no fewer than 20 different kinds of pastries and cookies. Her most famous sugar cookies were so thin there was “nowhere for the flavor to hide,” according to her grandsons. When Minnie lost Elmer, she continued to attend her great grandkids’ performances and sporting events—and this past year, even attended her very first cheer competition! In her later years, people marveled at her extraordinary memory, her “with-it” factor, and her ability to navigate the world of iPads and social media. Her motto was, “If you don’t keep up with the times, they will leave you behind!” Minnie is preceded in death by her husband, Elmer, and her grandson, Morgan Steigely. She will be deeply missed by her children, Paulette Meiner (Donald), Patti Bernhard (David), Pamela Spong (Michael), Penny Pfingsten, and Robert Pfingsten Sr. (Jedie), and by her 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to: https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html https://ci.easterseals.com/take-action/make-a-donation