Rosella Fefercorn

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1920 - 2020 Rosella Fefercorn, age 99, of Minneapolis passed away at sunrise on February 21, 2020. She was preceded in death by husbands Nathan Fefercorn and Harry Nimchuk, son Ross Fefercorn, brothers Ralph, Harley, Russell and Richard Brophy; sister Roberta Martinson Stevens; nephews Sanders, Norman and Robert Ackerberg and nieces Frances Fefercorn Rich and Linda Cook Cox. Rosella is survived by loving daughter Sally and son-in-law David Hyslop; grandson Alex (Lawani) Hyslop; Ross's fiancée Connie Evingson and her family; the Nimchuk family, and many Ackerberg, Brophy, Fefercorn, Nessett and Nimchuk cousins, nephews, nieces and their families; and her beloved cat Charley. Born on November 15, 1920 to James and Molly Nessett Brophy, Rosella was the oldest of six. The family resided in Blackduck, MN where Rosella cultivated a love of gardening and honed her baking and sewing skills helping her mother with meals and mending. In high school, Rosella joined the local 4-H Club making yearly trips to the Minnesota State Fair to compete in baking and canning competitions. Her State Fair entries won many blue ribbons and she was awarded the prestigious 4-H Achievement Award. The award included an all expense paid bus trip to Washington, D.C. where she and fellow award winners met President Franklin and Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, a lifetime highlight for this young girl from Blackduck. After high school, Rosella moved to Minneapolis to pursue a career. With her fine eye for design and sewing skills, she worked as a milliner for the Dayton Company creating custom hats for the City's leading ladies. As WW II raged, Rosella helped the war effort and worked in an ammunition plant in Arden Hills, MN. In 1948, Rosella married Nathan "Nate" Fefercorn, the handsome young electrician she met after moving to Minneapolis. Together they started Plymouth Electric, an electrical contracting business, and soon welcomed daughter Sally and son Ross. Rosella was a blue ribbon mother in everyway. Learning to drive, she chauffeured Sally to ballet and art classes and Ross to music and swimming competitions; volunteered for the PTA chairing school fundraising events; served as a Brownie and Cub Scout leader planning field trips geared for the young Scouts to see and experience "real life." Rosella was the "go to Mom" for Sally's and Ross's friends seeking advice or just wanting to talk. Gardening remained a passion for Rosella. She was a lifetime member and past president of the Digger's Garden Club and Federated Garden Clubs of Minnesota, member of the National Federation of Garden Clubs, Twin Cities Rose Society, American Rose Society, Minnesota Dahlia Society and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. She attended floral design classes and became an accredited floral judge traveling the country to judge flower shows. In September 2019, the Digger's Garden Club recognized Rosella's 60 year membership and established the "Robbinsdale Digger's Garden Club" Rosella Fefercorn Award for Exemplary Leadership in her honor. With her interest in floral arranging, Rosella was instrumental in bringing the first Art in Bloom to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). She volunteered to contact Twin City garden club members to interpret select artwork to fill the museum galleries with fresh floral arrangements. Rosella was also one of the inaugural floral artists, selecting "Portrait of a Boy"to interpret in flowers because it reminded her of a boyhood photo of Nate. Her participation in Art in Bloom continued for years. In 1986, Rosella's husband Nate passed away. In 1992, she married Harry Nimchuk and was widowed a second time with his passing in 1998. A self-appointed blue ribbon fan of the Minnesota State Fair, Rosella was a perennial fair goer and patron of the All You Can Drink Milk and Honey Almond Ice Cream booths. She sponsored many personalized yellow benches and tables on the fair grounds to honor family members and even her cat Charley. In 2017, Rosella appeared in a documentary produced by and aired on TPT titled "State Fair Traditions" and shared her favorite memories of the Minnesota State Fair. Rosella continued making memories and friends traveling worldwide with Sally and David. The traveling trio visited 36 countries on six continents and only missed the seventh continent when storm conditions cancelled their flight to Antarctica. Rosella joined Sally and David to travel with the Minnesota Orchestra for the orchestra's first European and Asian concert tours when David served as President/CEO of the Minnesota Orchestra. Rosella's love of travel and willingness to take any vacant plane seat earned her luggage tags that read "Queen of Coach." Rosella will be remembered for her "can do spirit and spunk." Her zest for life was felt by all whether family, longtime or newly made friends. Her sweet disposition was balanced with a bit of sass, which her family attributes to her Irish, Norwegian and touch of French ancestry. Sally and David would like to thank Rosella's special friends Jody Griffith and Lisa Pramann and personal caregivers Sherry, ZoAnn, Rama, Gina, Sami and colleagues with Touching Hearts at Home for the kindness and care they extended to Rosella. Family services have been held. A memorial gathering for Rosella is planned for a later date. Memorials may be directed to the "Rosella Fefercorn Fund for the Minnesota State Fair Punch List," in care of the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, 1265 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55108 or the donor's favorite charity. Hodroff-Epstein 612-871-1234 hodroffepstein.com

Published on March 15, 2020