Signe Broberg, 108, teacher, caterer and ray of sunshine

Signe Broberg, 108, one of Minnesota's oldest residents, attributed her long, healthy life to writing poetry, engaging those around her and having lots of laughs.

Broberg, recently of Golden Valley and a decades-long resident of south Minneapolis, died March 14 in Golden Valley.

Three husbands preceded her in death: George Fredrickson, John Erickson and Elmer Broberg.

She was born on May 26, 1899, one of 10 children, growing up on a farm homesteaded by her Swedish immigrant father in the 19th century near Kingston, in western Minnesota. The land is still farmed by a family member.

As a child, Broberg, a good student, attended a teaching college, known then as a "normal school," in Duluth. She began a career as a teacher while still a teen, and taught all grades in one-room schoolhouses not far from Kingston, even teaching some of her siblings.

"They all said she was the best teacher in their entire educational experience," said her son, Paul Fredrickson of Edina.

Her son said the allure of the Twin Cities led her to quit teaching in the early 1920s, so she went to work at Donaldson's department store, also spending a few summers working in Montana's Glacier National Park.

They married and began their life together in Duluth. She missed Minneapolis, but when her new family and friends gave her the moniker "Sunny," she knew the north had become her home. "She changed the atmosphere and the character of every situation she was in," said her son. "She just lived for other people."

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, her husband lost his business, so the family moved to Minneapolis to start over again. George died in 1959, after 33 years of marriage.

Poverty didn't beat down her spirit, said her son. For decades, she catered events and housed boarders to help make ends meet.

For most of her life, she loved to write and recite poetry. In February, she penned her last poem in her Valentine's Day card to family and friends.

Instead of counting sheep to fall asleep, she recited Bible verses alphabetically, knowing four or more verses that begin with each of the letters of the alphabet, her son said.

In the mid-1970s, she retired from full-time catering.

For many years, she taught Sunday school, and as recently as a year ago she was a guest at several elementary schools, telling the children what school days were like 90 years ago.

Paul, a retired teacher, said she was a gifted and innovative teacher and parent. The two of them wrote a book together.

"She made me a better teacher," said her son.

Her second husband, John Erickson, died in 1974, and her third husband, Elmer Broberg, died in 1976.