Mary Frances Lupfer

Mary F. "Fran" Lupfer, age 96, of Litchfield, died on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at the Dassel Lakeview Ranch. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield. Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM on Friday, October 4th at the Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home in Litchfield with a Daughter of Isabella Rosary and parish prayers at 7:00 PM. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the St. Gertrude's Catholic Cemetery. Mary Frances Hannan Schoolmeesters Lupfer was born in Minneapolis, MN on May 11, 1923 and lived in Minnesota most of her life. She grew up on a farm near Darwin with her parents, John and Gertrude Hannan, two brothers and two sisters. She went to country school nearby, and later attended Litchfield High School, where she graduated at age 16. After graduation, she attended a teachers' college. Over the course of her working years, she taught in several country schools, and at St. Philip’s in Litchfield where her children were students. She was also a teacher’s aide at both St. Philip’s and Wagner Elementary school. She also spent many hours at the little country schoolhouse during the Meeker County Fair each summer and organized reunions of the country school teachers in the area. Fran moved to California as a young woman and was ready for adventure. She lived with her Uncle Ed and Aunt Marg in San Francisco and worked as an insurance adjuster and a dictaphone operator. After moving back to Minnesota, she married Norbert Schoolmeesters and they lived on a farm near Forest City. She and Norb had five children and worked hard on their dairy farm. When Norb died at age 42, Fran moved to Litchfield. A few years later, she married Sam Lupfer and moved to the house on Swift Ave that was her home for many years. Fran loved to travel, starting with trips to California as a young woman. She went back to California to visit family many times, as well as other states and even Germany. She also loved to sew, embroider and bake. She watched a lot of football, baseball, basketball and softball games, and piano recitals when her children were playing, and loved watching the Twins play baseball. She spent many hours volunteering at church and was the State President of the Daughters of Isabella. Fran is survived by her sister Kathy of Rapid City, SD, her children Mark (and Val) Schoolmeesters of Champlin, MN; Nancy (and Armando) Morales of Oak Hill, VA; Paul (and Mary) Schoolmeesters of Minneapolis, MN; David (and Nancy) Schoolmeesters of Lonsdale, MN; and Mary (and Ken) Neu of Dassel, MN. She has 19 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Gertrude Hannan, her brothers Jim and Bill, her sister Gert, as well as her husbands Norbert Schooolmeesters and Samuel Lupfer, and her step-son Robert Lupfer. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lakeview Ranch, Dassel or St. Philip’s, Litchfield.