Hattie Olga Bremseth died Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Seasons Hospice in Rochester. She was 97.

Hattie was born Dec. 17, 1913, in Westport, Pa,. Shortly thereafter, her family moved to Brainerd, Minn. In her early years, she graduated from high school at age 15, held a Minnesota teaching certificate at 17, appeared in several French-speaking plays and toured as a member of Minnesota’s first all-women band. She married Ralph Ray Bremseth on April 20, 1935. After traveling for years in the underground construction business, she and Ralph settled on a farmstead in the rural Racine-Grand Meadow, Minn., area in 1950, where she established an antiques and used merchandise business. In 1967, the couple moved to Grand Meadow, where she formally named her business “Hattie’s Antiques & Junque.” During her business years she authored two books on collecting antique washboards, both of which remain the only existing resources in that collecting area. Hattie retired in 2001, selling her business and moving to Rochester. For the past four years she has been a resident of Golden Living Center in Rochester. She was pre-deceased by her husband and four siblings.

Surviving are one son, Michael (Diane Anderson) of Knoxville, Tenn.; two daughters, Joan (Doug) Sween of Rochester; and Diane (Richard, deceased) Thompson of Winona. She has six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Hattie will be cremated and her ashes will lie next to Ralph in the Grand Meadow Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at Grand Meadow Lutheran Church, 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 21, at with Pastor Ann Siverling officiating and a eulogy by her longtime friend, Dr. Burton Onofrio. Lunch will follow the service. Arrangements are being handled by Hindt Funeral Home, Grand Meadow.