Services for Judy Engebretson
Fri, 04/03/2020 - 11:08am
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Judy Engebretson, 64, a lifelong resident of Clearbrook, died on March 28th after a 4 month battle with cancer. She was the third child of Ernest and Alma Engebretson and the first child to be baptized at Elim Lutheran Brethren church in Clearbrook when it was established in 1956. She was also a child of God, having put her trust in Him as her Savior and Lord.
Judy attended school at Clearbrook, graduating with the class of 1974. She went on to college at Bemidji State College and received her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. She then taught and coached at Fertile High School for a couple of years before coming back to Clearbrook to teach and coach at Clearbrook and later Clearbrook-Gonvick school. Since 1985 she has been teaching and coaching and mentoring kids and young people in the Clearbrook-Gonvick school system and the Community Education program. Hundreds of kids came under her influence as teacher, coach and mentor as they developed their sports interests.
Judy’s life interest was sports. She may have been coerced into that when very young by her two older brothers. In order to make even teams in baseball and basketball, she had to play and muscle up to compete with them. Every spare minute when not working on the farm, was spent playing an inning of baseball or a few minutes of basketball in the yard. The chicken coup backstop wall was pulverized with baseball pock marks.
Judy never married. Some may have considered her life a lonely one lived to herself. She rarely traveled much outside the Clearbrook area. (She did however, make a trip to Africa with Mom to visit her brother in 1982). However Judy gained great satisfaction from her work. She was a great organizer of sports events that benefitted and developed the skills of kids and young people. She was in integral part of developing the Kloster Park baseball/softball program in the 1980’s. She organized Summer Fest kiddie games, coached basketball and volleyball, and helped organize and played on a women’s state championship softball team. She also would help organize the annual Summer Fest Prairie Fire Theater that helped interested kids develop their acting skills. The NELL program also gained the attention of her organizing skills.
Judy died the day after her 64th birthday. She had spent much of the previous 8 weeks in Rochester at Mayo being diagnosed and treated for her cancer. She had been sent home on hospice care on her birthday. The trip was grueling, but a few hours after getting settled in her hospital bed at her house, she was surprised by the arrival of some 80-100 of her co-workers, friends, relatives and young people she had touched over her 40 years of service. Constrained to distancing by COVID-19, they filed passed her open door and picture window to wish her Happy Birthday and express their love and gratitude. It was a deeply touching moment as Judy acknowledged and accepted their thanks with a wave. Less than 24 hours later she had passed on to see her Lord and Savior.
Judy is survived by her two brothers, Gordon (Roxanne) and Dennis (Jacky) Engebretson, numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents.
A family grave side service was held on April 1. A public memorial service will be held at a later date.
