Jane Franklin, 1937-2017

Published 9:06 am Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Jane Bridley Franklin, 79, of Northfield passed away Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, at Northfield Hospital Long Term Care Center. A celebration of life will take place at a later date.

Jane Franklin was born Oct. 14, 1937, in Woden, Iowa, to Geerd and Evelyn (Johnson) Eden.  At the age of 5 she was adopted by Irving and Martha (Jensen) Ambroson and raised in Albert Lea.

Jane Franklin

Jane Franklin

In 1957 she married William Bridley. Together they had four children, Jay, Jody, Jed and Jan.  They lived in Albert Lea and surrounding communities in southern Minnesota before divorcing in 1977. Jane later moved to Idaho where she met and married Carl Franklin. They moved to Easton, Pennsylvania, and divorced in 1996. Following the divorce Jane returned to Minnesota to be near family and lived in Pine City and McGregor before moving to Northfield in 2005.

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Jane enjoyed craft work, could described as an eclectic collector and was a former member of St. John’s Lutheran Church. She was happy, positive, giving, caring and chatty. She also had a fondness for Tootsie Rolls and coffee. Jane was also an avid genealogist; spending many years tracking down her birth parents and siblings. She loved her family dearly and she will be missed.

Survivors include her children Jay (Shari) Bridley of Northfield, Jody Root of Round Rock, Texas, and Jan (Sherman) Jahnssen of Mankato; 12 grandchildren, Brian, Sara, Jeremy, Jake, Amber, Aaron, Jesse, Tyler, Annie, Nicole, Billy and John; 13 great-grandchildren; one brother, John (Nora) Rodas of Arlington, Virginia; one sister, Judy Norcross, Oxnard, California; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Jed Bridley; daughter-in-law, Jill Bridley; brothers Vernon “David” Lane, Roger Boyken and Michael Ambroson; and granddaughter, Sara Jahnssen.

Benson & Langehough Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.