Frances Ellen Ulfers, age 96 of Eagan, Minn., formerly of Annandale, Minn., and Sarasota, Fla., passed away May 25, 2026. Frances was born on July 1, 1929, in Lennox, S.D., to Bruno and Agnes (La Barge) Eiserman. She grew up in Lennox, S.D., and spent her early years there graduating high school in Lennox in 1947. Frances taught school for five years after graduation until she started a family and became a loving mother and wife. She married Stuart Edward Ulfers on January 18, 1951.
Frances is preceded in death by her parents, and siblings, Anthony, Ruth, Jack, Phil, Eiserman, Regina (Clarence) Wendt and Maureen (Ray) Fenstra.
She is survived by her loving husband of over 75 years, Stuart; children, Doug (Sheila), Mark (MaryEllen), and Maurice (Kathy) Ulfers, and Cathy (Bill) Johnson; grandchildren, Katee, Karl (Rachel), and Benjamin Ulfers, Ashley (Chris) Middendorf, John (Marissa) Ulfers and Becca (Alex) Handler; great grandchildren, Ellerie, Adelyn, Delainey, Rylee, Harvey, Tatum, Ella and Finn, also by many nieces and nephews and friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday June 9, 2026, at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 4030 Pilot Knob Rd., Eagan, MN, with a visitation starting at 9 a.m. at church. Interment is at St. Ignatius Catholic Cemetery, Annadale, Minn., at 1:30 p.m. on June 9, 2026. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to True Friends Camp Courage and Friendship.
Her early life on the farm in South Dakota during the Depression was one of hardship but also filled with love and music as her dad and siblings all played musical instruments together. Education and reading were very important to her parents and a love of reading pressed onto her at an early age. She made sure all her children were read to and learned to read early as well.
During her years in Richfield, she stayed busy raising her family, but also had time for Bridge Club with the neighborhood ladies and other social activities with her husband. In 1968, they purchased land and started building “the cabin” out at Cedar Lake in Annandale, where many weekends were spent working on that project. She met people at the “lake” that remained lifelong friends. After moving to Florida in 1973, whole summers were spent at Cedar Lake that involved long road trips back and forth from Sarasota to Annandale with the family.
She lived in Sarasota from 1973 until 1989 when Stuart retired and they moved back to Cedar Lake, where they then lived until 2016. The Sarasota years saw her finish raising her children and then have some time for herself! Unfortunately, she also had an accident and broke her hip during this time. She was in chronic pain the rest of her life, but almost never complained. She always enjoyed gardening and plants with a vegetable garden everywhere she lived. She met many people and there were many hours spent hosting and attending dinner parties, going to ceramics and helping out the younger neighbors with kids. She volunteered for many years at Elderly Care Homes in both Sarasota and Annandale.
After retirement, she continued to stay busy with grandchildren and then great grandchildren as well as lots of travel, including bus tours and cruises. She loved Cedar Lake even though she was not a fan of the water! She loved to bake and really enjoyed feeding birds all year long. She also loved animals, especially cats, and had a number of pets over the years, some of which were originally her daughter’s and then just never left.
She was a devout Catholic and active in the church wherever she lived all her life. She is now at her heavenly peace. We will miss her terribly.
Condolences at: www.whitefuneralhomes.com.