Jane Margaret Kalmes Walch Roth — Rochester

Jane Margaret Kalmes Walch Roth was born March 23, 1940, to Helen (Gengler) and Edward Kalmes of Rollingstone. Jane grew up on the family farm in Rollingstone and attended Holy Trinity School for 12 years – she graduated valedictorian of the class of 1957. After high school, Jane attended and graduated from the Winona Secretarial School with a medical secretary degree. She was a medical secretary at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester from 1959 – 1969.

On May 13, 1961, Jane married Thomas F. Walch from Altura. They had two daughters: Patrice in 1962 and Paula in 1966. While her girls were growing up, she was also a secretary at Hubbard Milling Company in Altura. She was also the bookkeeper and eventual manager of Walch Farm Service after Tom's death in February 1978.

In October 1987, Jane married Jacque E. Roth in Anchorage, Alaska. They resided in Alaska in the summers and were snowbirds to Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, until 1998, when they changed their snowbird destination to Arizona. After Jacque's death in November 2004, Jane became a full-time Arizona resident in 2005. Her failing health brought her to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and in 2011 she permanently came home to be with her family and friends in Minnesota.

Jane enjoyed playing golf casually and competitively. She enjoyed working the daily crossword puzzles and especially the New York Times crosswords in ink. She loved jigsaw puzzles, was an avid quilter and loved a good card game – particularly Bridge or 500. She spent many of her days in the hospital improving upon her game of Hands and Feet. In her younger years, she loved to sew doll clothes and daughter clothes. She also liked knitting, cross stitching, and crocheting. No matter where she lived she ALWAYS cheered for the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves and Wild. She enjoyed watching golf on the weekends, and spent an hour every day with Alex Tribec and a good round of "Jeopardy," and Pat Sajack and "Wheel of Fortune." She also loved her flower beds and beloved sunflowers and dahlias. She enjoyed travel and was able to visit many parts of the world that most of us only see in books. She was an avid reader as well, and tried to read a book a week.

Jane was preceded in death by both of her parents, Helen and Edward Kalmes, her younger brother, Jim Kalmes and her younger sister, Janet (Dr.John) Ries, an infant son, Patrick Michael Walch, her husband, Tom Walch, and her husband, Jacque Roth, three step-sons, Jeff Roth, Scott Roth and Kent Roth, two step-grandchildren, Jenny Lynn Anderson (Jesse and Cheryl Anderson), and Sean Michael Roth (Colin and Nancy Roth).

Jane is survived and very much loved by her daughters, Patrice (Jay) Thesing of Cannon Falls and Paula (Rodney) Nelson of Lewiston. Her five grandsons, Aaron (Katie) Thesing, Andrew Thesing and Adam Thesing of Cannon Falls, Sean Nelson and Zach Nelson of Lewiston; stepdaughters, Cheryl (Jesse) Anderson of Sheridan, Ore., and Mary Jo (Mitch) Chandler of Pullman, Wash.; stepsons, Jason, Colin and Kurt Roth all of Anchorage, Alaska; stepdaughters-in-law, Gayle (Jeff) Roth, Jeanne (Scott) Roth-Huff and Loretta (Kent) Roth, all of Anchorage, Alaska; sisters, Joan (Leigh) Hartert of Wabasha and Jean (Mike) Kertzman of Winona; sisters-in-law, Joan (Donald) Simon, Harrisonburg, Va., Katie (Dick) Kreutter, Deephaven and Rita (Jim) Suchomel, Hopkins, and Louise (James) Kalmes, Rollingstone. She is also survived by Jacques' 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Jane passed away peacefully in her daughter's home in Cannon Falls Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014. She spent the last years of her life with daily rituals of snuggling the family cats and dogs, watching and feeding the birds (oranges and Orioles were a special treat) and her beloved Cardinals and Blue Jays (NOT the baseball teams) were always a favorite at the feeders. She was a strong and courageous woman, an adventurer and pioneer and a wonderful mother.

A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Rollingstone, with the Rev. William Kulas officiating. She will be buried in St. Mary's Cemetery at Oak Ridge.

Friends may call at Holy Trinity Catholic Church from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, and one hour before services on Wednesday.

Please share a memory of Jane with her family, view her video tribute and read her complete life story when it becomes available at hofffuneral.com .

The family requests memorials and donations to be made to your local Humane Society or the Cannon Falls Hospital.

We also thank all of you friends and family, the staff at the Mayo Clinic, particularly Dr. Jeremy Clain for his pulmonary care and passionate heart, the staff of all of the ER's, ICU's, and her family at Domitilla 6 at Saint Marys Hospital. Dr.'s Turna, Nordahl, Chestnut, Stricker and Johnston-Flanders at the Cannon Falls Hospital, her "thumpers" Rosemary and Kurt, the staff at the Cannon Falls Hospital, and the compassionate ambulance team of Cannon Falls that came to her rescue on a monthly basis. God Bless all of you and know you made her life so much better. God Bless!

Hoff Celebration of Life Center in Goodview/ Winona is assisting the family with arrangements.