Evelyn M. Hennen

Funeral services for Evelyn Hennen of Morris, Minnesota, will be held Monday, August 14, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris, Minnesota, with Father Todd Schneider officiating.  Visitation will be Sunday, August 13, 2023, from 4 to 7 p.m. with a prayer service at 6:30 and Rosary to follow, at Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, Morris, Minnesota.

Evelyn Marjorie Toso, was born at home on August 19, 1925, near Rothsay in Trondhjem Township, Ottertail County, Minnesota, to John and Anna (Ostlund) Toso. She was the eighth of ten children: five girls and five boys. Evelyn was raised and helped on the family farm.  In 1945, she graduated from Fergus Falls High School in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. After graduation, Evelyn lived with her sister Jeanette and worked as a nurse’s aide at the old hospital in Morris.

In the spring of 1946, Evelyn attended a wedding dance in Alberta, Minnesota, where she met Leo Hennen. Leo and Evelyn were married at 7:00 am on October 9, 1946, at the Assumption Catholic Parish in Morris. They lived in Minneapolis for a short time before moving seven miles SW of Morris to the family farm. They were blessed with 13 children, six sons and seven daughters and enjoyed a wholesome life there for 55 years. When the children had all left home, Evelyn went to work at the Villa of St. Francis in housekeeping and laundry, which she dearly loved. After they retired, they moved to West Central Homes in Morris, where they lived together until Leo’s passing in 2010. Evelyn moved to Skyview Court and later to West Wind Village where she lived until her death.

Evelyn was a faithful member of the Assumption Catholic Church and served with the church’s Mission Circle, homebound communion distributor, Daughters of Isabella and various other church related organizations. In addition to the daily tasks of a large farm family, Evelyn loved making homemade bread, tending to her big garden and fruit trees, and canning her homegrown produce.  Over the years, Evelyn prepared countless meals for family, friends, and field workers, which she often delivered to the field. In her early years, Evelyn loved music, including singing and dancing. She would play guitar and sing with her sister Joyce, often on the local radio station.

Evelyn’s life was lived in love and centered around faith and family. She was always so patient, gentle, kind and loving in her words and actions. Evelyn and Leo had a strong faith and spent their life serving God and instilled those values in their children; thankfulness, kindness, forgiveness, compassion and daily prayer. Evelyn will be dearly missed by her family, especially her grandchildren.

Evelyn died peacefully at the West Wind Village on Friday, July 28, 2023, surrounded by her family. She was 97 years old.

She is survived by her 12 children: Barb Shubert of Missoula, MT, Barry (Susan) Hennen of Morris, Chuck (Becky) Hennen of Morris, Bonnie Berger of Baldwin, WI, Kathy (Jerry) Bruns of Donnelly, Mary (Randy) Schumacher of Forest Lake, Joanie (Mike) Kopel of Donnelly, Jenny (Gregg) Gunter of Cottage Grove, Jim (Becky) Hennen of Waconia, Dan (Dee) Hennen of Arlington, Tony (Amy) Hennen of Carmel, IN, and Sarah (Jim) Hurd of Warroad, 38 grandchildren; 78 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and one brother, John (Tammy) Toso of Green Valley, AZ.

She is preceded in death by her husband; her son, Edward Hennen; grandchildren: Blake and Bradley Hennen, and Michelle Stillwell; great-grandchild: Clayton Paul; two sons-in-law: Dick Shubert and Reid Berger; eight brothers and sisters; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.