Signe E. Ingvalson, 90, of Blooming Prairie, died Tuesday June 7, 2011, at Prairie Manor Comfort Center after a 10-day battle with blood clots, hospitalization, surgery and heart failure.

Signe Esther Tollefson was born Oct. 5, 1920, to Gullick and Anna Tollefson. She was born in Austin and raised on a home farm a quarter-mile north of Corning, Minn. She was the youngest of 10 children. She graduated from Austin High School and was active in school and other activities. The Church was the center of her life, (as it was for most other youth in the area) for social activities. She met her husband-to-be, Burton, at Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church.

Burton lived a 1.5 miles east of the Church. Both lived through the depression. Signe and Burton married at Red Oak Grove in 1941. Both were baptized, confirmed, married and now buried at Red Oak Grove.

Burton enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1941 and served for four years in the Sedalia, Mo. air-base as his final assignment. Signe joined him there with their new son Brian for the last three years. Their son, Robert, was born in Missouri. Burton was discharged in 1945 and returned to the area and worked at Hormel for a few years. In 1948 they moved to the farm where Burton was raised. Their third son, Keith, was born shortly thereafter. Burton and Signe raised their three boys there and farmed the land until 1984.

Signe was the traditional, yet progressive, farm wife. She joined in all the operations of the farm. She was not only the chief cook and baker, but washed the milking equipment every day, drove tractor, working the ground, while Burton followed behind planting. She always had a large garden and canned hundreds of quarts of fruits, vegetables and meat each year. She created wonderful meals on holidays, especially Christmas, where there would be the traditional low-fat and low-calorie meal of lutefisk and melted butter, lefse with butter and sugar, roast duck, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean hot dish, sweet potatoes with apple pie mix and pecans, fresh rolls with strawberry jam, Waldorf salad, and hot apple pie with either ice cream or American cheese on top.

Signe was active in many church and community organizations.

She is survived by sons and daughters-in-law Brian and Lezlie Ingvalson, Minnetonka, Minn., and Bob and Barb Ingvalson of Richfield, Minn.; grandchildren, Karla and Jeff Ruhr of Maple Grove; Minn.; Boyd and Michelle Ingvalson of Brooklyn Park, Minn.; Kevin Ingvalson, Prior Lake, Minn.; great-grandsons, Zach and Tommy Ruhr; nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Burton; and son, Keith Ingvalson..

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday June 13 at the Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church with the Reverend Gene Leiter officiating. Interment will be at the Red Oak Grove Cemetery. Friends may call at the Clasen-Jordan Mortuary from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday and at the church for one hour before the service on Monday morning. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church Debt Retirement Fund.