Obituary of Jane Delander Freeman

Jane (Delander) Freeman

July 26th, 1924 – November 28th, 2024

Jane Delander Freeman was one of a kind. Friend, sister, wife, mother, grand and great grandmother. On July 26, 1924, Jane joined her parents, Nels Paul Delander and Mildred Caroline Delander, and sister Marian Delander (Henderson) in completing the Delander family. A lifelong resident of St. Paul, Jane graduated from Summit School, attended the University of Minnesota where she majored in art and pledged Alpha Phi sorority.

In 1947, Jane married David Wann Freeman. Together they had three children, Andy Freeman (Sarah), Peter Freeman (Laura Sewell) and Jan Holman. The family eventually grew to include seven grandchildren: Kali Freeman (John Justen), Drew Freeman, Andrew Mears (Jackie Mears), Alex Freeman, Blakeley Holman (Beth Holman), Chandler Holman (Jaime Dewars) and Barrett Dahl (Dave Dahl) and eleven great-grandchildren: Michael and David Justen, Ethan, Nils and Penelope Freeman, Harrison, Kenniston, and Archie Holman, Harriet and Emmett Dahl and Maddie Mears.

A lover of dogs, Jane prided herself on the fact that she lived with dogs, particularly Cocker Spaniels, Basset hounds and West Highland White Terriers, from the time she was 5 until 97.

Jane and her sister Marian Henderson would often be seen playing golf or bridge at the Town and Country Club or shopping around the Twin Cities. Often laughing, tan, ponytailed and resplendent with their silver and turquoise Native American jewelry, the sisters often joked that they, “wanted their ashes sprinkled on the Dales”.

Jane and David loved people. They were members of a large circle of friends many of whom they’d known since grade school, amazingly, Jane was the last person standing. The Freeman family also spent a great deal of time with Jane’s sister Marian, her husband Bob and their 3 children Ridge, Christine and Vicki.

Many interests kept Jane busy. She played tennis at the Lilydale tennis club with friends during the 1970s and ‘80s, but golf was the sport she loved most. A member of the Town and Country Club her from childhood, she stopped playing the game in her mid-80s and missed playing the game for the rest of her life. Her artistic talent and flair for creativity and design could be seen in the doodles she drew while talking on the phone, her sewing, and the sweaters she knitted that were as much works of art as they were articles of clothing.

Preceded in death by her husband of 70 years David, parents Paul and Mildred Delander and sister Marian Henderson.

A special thanks to the devoted caregivers, Chandler Holman, Kellie Hoffman, Haley Lohmann, Holly LaBerge and Jane Sullivan whose wonderful care throughout the last years of her life allowed her to remain in her home.

Private burial with family members.

Memorials in her name can be directed to Smile Train at www.smiletrain.org