Valeria "Grandma Honey" Traut Jefferson

Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Valeria “Grandma Honey” Traut Jefferson, age 70, of Rice will be at 11 am on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sartell, MN. Valeria died on Friday, March 12, 2010 at St. Benedict’s Center after a courageous battle with cancer. The Rev. Lauren Germann will officiate. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.

Family and friends may call between 4-9 pm on Monday, March 15, 2010 and after 10 am on Tuesday at the Gathering Space at St. Francis Xavier Church in Sartell. St. Anthony’s Mission Group and St. Monica’s Christian Women will pray the rosary at 6:30 pm on Monday at the Gathering Space followed by the parish prayers at 7 pm. Arrangements are with Daniel Funeral Home, Sartell.

Val was born on January 12, 1940 in St. Cloud, MN to Martin and Susan (Weyer) Traut. She graduated from Cathedral High School, St. Francis School of Nursing in Little Falls and later received her Bachelor of Science from Pepperdine University-Malibu, CA. She married Jerome E. Jefferson in Malibu, CA. She resided in Venice, CA until 1989 when she returned to Minnesota. She was employed as a registered nurse and worked at St. John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica, CA and also at Daniel-Freedman Marina Hospital as a charge nurse in Marina Del Ray, CA. For the past 20 years she worked at the St. Cloud Hospital. She was a member of St. Francis Xavier parish, Christian Women, the Health and Wellness Committee, a Befriender and St. Anthony’s Mission Group. Val will be remembered for her love of family and friends and her passion for gardening.

Survivors include her children: Natalie Chairez of Rice, Jeffrey Jefferson of St. Stephen and Jacqulyn “Jackie” Salazar of Rice; grandchildren: Alexandria Negrete of Los Angeles, CA, Jerome Chairez of Rice, Samantha Chairez of Rice and Erin Janssen of Waite Park; great grandson Joel Miller IV of Rice; brothers and sisters: Wilfred, Marian (Urban) Theisen, Marcella (Don) Piasecki and Lawrence (Agatha) all of Sartell, Victor (Lorraine) of Sauk Centre, Doreen Smoley of St. Stephen and Leroy (Linda) of Fallbrook, CA; sisters-in-law Betty and Marcy Traut both of Sartell and Mary Jane Larson of Temecula, CA.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Jerome “Jeff” in 1992, brothers Al, Melvin and Marvin, sister-in-law Verda Traut and brother-in-law Ken Smoley.

The family would like to thank Val’s extended family, her friends, health care providers and co-workers for all their love, support and care during her final illness.