Jewell D. Schwarztrauber

Jewell DeEtte Schwarztrauber, 87, of Red Wing, died Saturday, August 8, 2009 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. She was born December 25, 1921 in Minneapolis to Andrew and Cora (Larson) Bratlie. She graduated from Ellsworth High School and married Lester Schwarztraube and they lived in rural Ellsworth. After Lester's death in 1961, she started taking classes at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls and received her bachelor's degree in teaching in 1965. She student taught 5th grade at Hillcrest Elementary School in Ellsworth, and then began her teaching career in the fall of 1965. She was a third grade teacher at Prairie View Elementary School until retiring in 1987. Although retired, she wasn't completely ready to quit teaching, as she continued to substitute teach as needed. Jewell loved camping, and after retiring, she purchased a motor home, allowing her to enjoy her other hobbies of traveling, hiking and photography. She also enjoyed music and used to accompany her husband to the local dances, where he would perform the music. She had spent her winters in South Padre, Texas and though recently she was no longer able to travel there, she continued keep in touch with her friends there. She had been a resident of the Villa at Hi Park for the past six years, and greatly enjoyed her friends and her time there.

She is survived by her daughter, LaRae (Jeffrey) Ekblad of Red Wing; 2 grandsons, Aaron and Jared Johnsen, both of Portland, Oregon; and one brother, William (Mary Ann) Bratlie of South St. Paul. She was preceded in death by her husband and a sister, Marilyn Fassett.

Jewell was a very caring person, and would always do what she could to help and give to someone else. As her final way of giving, she donated her body to the University of Minnesota Bequest Program. A visitation will be held 3-8 p.m. Monday, August 17, at the Mahn Family Funeral Home, Bodelson-Mahn Chapel with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. A memorial service will be held Monday, August 24, at 10 a.m. at the Chapel at St. Brigid's at Hi Park with Dar Reeck officiating. A private family burial will be at a later date at the St. Paul UCC Church Cemetery in Ellsworth.