Jeanette Ione Kissner

The funeral service for Jeanette Kissner, 82, of Echo will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 17, 2021, at the Echo Alliance Church in Echo. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will follow the service at the Echo City Cemetery. Jeanette Ione (Akre) Kissner was born on March 17, 1939, to Albert and Louise (Cole) Akre. Jeanette attended Sioux Agency District 65 Country School and the Echo Public School. After graduating from Echo in 1957, she attended the Minnesota School of Business and went on to work for Bob Eihlers in Minneapolis. In 1959, she married her high school sweetheart; Jack “Laverne” Kissner. They made their married life of 55 years together with an address of and great love for Echo and spent some winters in Mesa, AZ. To this marriage were born two children: Randy Kissner (Morris, MN) and Ann (and Gary) Geistfeld (Wood Lake, MN, three grandchildren: Tiffany (and Paul) Distad, Zachary (and Olga) Geistfeld, Chase (and Kaytlin) Geistfeld and four great grandchildren: Gwyneth, Jackson, Peter and David. Jeanette worked at the bank in Echo for a number of years; first as a teller and then as a tax practitioner. She enjoyed preparing individual tax returns and studying tax law. While Jeanette worked at the bank, she also worked alongside her husband building their farm operation. In 1981, she left her job at the bank to have more time for farm work and to be a grandma. Grandma Jeanette spent countless hours reading to, playing with and watching her three grandchildren from newborn through high school and beyond. Time well spent! For over 50 years, Jeanette belonged to a number of different clubs including Homemakers, Extension, Hobby and Birthday Club. Along with her husband, Jack, she was also a member of a neighborhood card club and Trible T Saddle Club. She was active in Ladies’ Aide and taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for a number of years. Over the years, Jeanette grew beautiful vegetable and flower gardens, refinished antique furniture and did beautiful reupholster work. Days that she and Jack spent fishing for walleye with Randy were very special to her. Jeanette loved her community and often expressed her gratitude for having the opportunity to live her life in Echo, Minnesota. Jeanette died on Sunday, September 12, 2021, at the Prairie Home Hospice Lockwood House in Marshall. She was preceded in death by her husband Jack “Laverne” Kissner, her sister Arlene Conrad Haiden, brothers-in-law Charles Conrad and Leon Moe, nephew Dominic Kormen and niece Pam Franz. Additional survivors include her sisters: Dorothy (and Don) Froland, Sharon (and Ed) Lynch, brother Leslie (and Barb) Akre, sisters-in-law; Marlene Moe and Eileen (Jr) Viergutz, brothers-in-law; Gene (and Betty) Kissner, Nick (and Charlene) Kissner in addition to several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.