Jean E. Flakne

Jean Elizabeth Flakne, 87, of Cannon Falls, died on Sunday morning with family at her side at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester after a brief illness.

Jean was the first of eleven children born to Asa and Vonda Clare on April 9, 1936, in Lake City, Minnesota.  She was a cherished daughter.  She was also, and always will be, a beloved “big sister” to her many siblings.  

Jean attended a country school in Belle Creek, MN, when she was younger and later attended Cannon Falls schools and graduated from Cannon Falls High School in 1954. 

Jean met Jimmy Flakne while she was in high school and they began dating.  She said “yes” when Jimmy proposed marriage to her.  To this day, Jimmy says he’s the luckiest man on earth for her response. They married on December 4, 1954, at First English Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls.   They settled in Cannon Falls where Jean worked and raised their family.   

Jean worked at several businesses in the Cannon Falls area during her life.  These included the telephone company, Windy Acres Restaurant, the dry cleaners, and later, she worked many years at Kid Duds Manufacturing.

Jean loved to cook and care for her family.   There was always a big spread of food at their family gatherings and she is world famous for her potato salad, sloppy joes and Spritz cookies.  No one ever left Jean’s kitchen hungry.

She was an active member of Wangen Prairie Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls from 1954 to 2024 and served as the President of the Ladies Auxiliary VFW from 1992 to 1993. She also was involved in many volunteering activities in the community.

 Jean is survived by her husband of sixty-nine years, Jimmy; her three children, Steve (Anne) Flakne of Burnsville, Wendy (Tom) Sampson of Cannon Falls, and Debra (Tim) Ericksen of Apple Valley; five grandchildren, Shannon, Kyle, Josie, Jack and Sadie; and nine great-grandchildren, Abby, Brayden, Brielle, Carter, Lynora, Airabella, Brooklyn, Cooper, and Amauri.

She is preceded in death by a daughter in infancy; her parents; her mother- and father-in-law, Arnold and Marian Flakne; her brother, Richard Clare; and a sister-in-law, Marlis Flakne and Jim’s brother, Donald.

A visitation will be held on Friday, February 9, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lundberg Funeral Home, 5839 Hwy 19 Blvd, Cannon Falls, MN 55009.  A funeral service will be held at Wangen Prairie Lutheran Church, 34289 County 24 Blvd, Cannon falls, MN 55009, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 10 with visitation preceding from 10 to 11 a.m.

Pallbearers will be Jack Sampson, Kyle Ericksen, Tom Sampson, Tim Ericksen, Lance Groth, and Ethan Ellefson .

There will be a shuttle bus available from the funeral home to the service at the church on Saturday, beginning at 9:30 am.