Evelyn Folstrom

BIOGRAPHY

Folstrom was born as Evelyn Irene St. John near Heron Lake, Minnesota, on 10 November 1906 as the sixth of seven children born to George Lloyd and Elizabeth (Pennington) St. John.

Folstrom received her teaching certificate from St. Cloud Teacher’s College, after which she taught at several rural schools in or around the Minnesota cities of Nowthen, Lakeville, and Welch. She married George Folstrom in September 1942.

After Folstrom’s husband was discharged from the army, the couple settled on a farm near Welch. Their daughter, Rebecca “Becky”, was born around 1949. In 1954, her husband began training in the field of pastoral ministry, selling the farm to fund it. Folstrom worked several jobs to support her husband and daughter. She also taught piano lessons to all who wished to master the instrument.

Following their retirement from church ministry, Folstrom and her husband relocated to Delano, Minnesota, where they ran Bible Study sessions. She was widowed in 1999 and moved again to Northfield, Minnesota, two years later.

Folstrom survived colon cancer twice, in 1986 and in 2003. At the age of 109, she lived with her daughter and son-in-law.

Folstrom died on 22 February 2017 at the age of 110 years, 104 days. In her final hours, she recited the Gospel clearly to her caregivers. She was survived by her daughter Becky, then 68, her three grandsons and 13 great-grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

Folstrom’s age was verified by Stefan Maglov and Jimmy Lindberg, and was validated by LongeviQuest on 31 March 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

GALLERY

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