Oma Eunice Fairchild

Oma Fairchild, age 99, of White Bear Lake, formerly of the Appleton/Milan area, passed away Friday afternoon, May 10th, at Prelude Homes in White Bear Lake. Visitation will be held 10:00 -11:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m., Monday, May 20, 2024, at Kviteseid Lutheran Church in Milan. Pastor Kristine Isder will officiate. Interment will be in Appleton City Cemetery.

Oma Eunice (Jerve) Fairchild died May 10, 2024, at the age of 99. Oma was born February 16, 1925, the 11th of 12 children born to Carl and Ida (Laumb) Jerve. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. She attended Milan High School and worked at the school after graduation. She married Stanley James Fairchild on March 17, 1945. To this union four children were born. She and Stanley lived on a farm east of Montevideo with no running water until the twins were born in 1953. They then moved to their farm north of Milan. They considered themselves partners in the family operation with Oma handling the bookwork involved. In 1984, they retired to a lake home near Starbuck, Minnesota. They enjoyed 13 years at Lake Minnewaska making new friends and enjoying “old” Milan friends. Stanley died September 9, 1997. There after Oma lived in Appleton, MN (Apple Ridge and Nursing Home,) Montevideo, MN (Luther Haven,) and White Bear Lake, MN (Prelude) where she lived until her death. Oma accepted her declining health with grace, often struggling with memory issues. May her memory be blessed.

Oma devoted her married life to creating a home, raising her children, and mentoring her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. These surviving family members will miss her lefse, homemade buns, and dill pickles. Her great-grandchildren will remember her soft baby quilts received at birth and again at age 1. Her grandchildren will remember her as a mentor and advisor who often understood them better than their parents. Oma's’ deep faith in God, her spirit, and her loving nature have been handed down to succeeding generations.

Greeting Oma in Heaven are her Honey, Stanley, her Ma and Pa, her 11 brothers and sisters, and her first grandson Patrick. She joins many other loved ones who passed before her and prepares to welcome those of us left behind.

Grateful for the time they were given with Oma are:

Dean (Diane) Fairchild of White Bear Lake, MN, their children: Patrick (deceased), Megan (Daniel) and Shane (Andrea), and great-grandchildren: Denton, Noah, and Oliver.

Gayle (Thomas) Schuster of Sioux Falls, SD, their children: Carrie, Paul (Brityn), and Andy (Alyson), and great-grandchildren: Anthony, Austin, Madison, Brooklyn, Cora, Tatum, and Mila.

Jon (Barbara) Fairchild of Johnstown, CO, their children Thomas (Brittany) and Kayla (Brad), and great-grandchild Ayrton.

Janet (Dennis) Lindahl of Andover, MN, their children: Kelly (Tim), Sarah (Zack), and Allyson (Lance), and great-grandchildren: Taylor (Dillon), Quinn (Alex), Cooper, Owen, Ruby, Ireland, Emersyn, and Oakley.