Phyllis Toft

Phyllis Toft, of Clarkfield, passed away Thursday, December 26, 2019 at the Clarkfield Care Center at the age of 93.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 30, 2019 at 11:00 AM at Clarkfield Lutheran Church.  Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church.

Phyllis Mae Toft was born at home in Ruthton, MN to Garfield and Edith (Johnson) Ness on December 21, 1926. She was baptized and confirmed at Aetna Lutheran Church.  She grew up in Ruthton and first attended country school and then the high school.  She was excited at the high school to eat store bought bread instead of homemade bread.  She  graduated from Ruthton High School in 1944 and was able to attend her 70th class reunion in 2014.   Phyllis was a WWII bride and married Leo Toft on December 27, 1944 at the parsonage in Flandrau, South Dakota.  Leo and Phyllis started farming in Ruthton, MN.  They also farmed in Kenyon and West Concord areas for a few years.  When Leo was not able to farm any longer for health reasons they came to Clarkfield and opened the Gamble Store.  They operated the Gamble store until 1970.  Phyllis also worked as a bookkeeper for a variety of other places as well as being a director at Vahalla Apartments. 

Phyllis was a member of the Legion Auxiliary, Ladies aid and served as a Cub Scout leader.  Leo and Phyllis liked to visit family and friends and would take their children on a road trip every 2 years. She also enjoyed spending time at the family cabin on Lake Minnewaska.  She loved to be with people,  to take care of them,  always had a smile and never complained.  When she entered the Care Center in 2015 she was the “welcome lady”  Her family  remembers she was always feeding people.  She was a wonderful cook and made very thin pancakes.  Phyllis was always busy with her hands,  She loved to knit and make baby blankets.  She made baptismal gowns for several of her great-granddaughters and made little white blankets for 3 of her great-great grandchildren to use at their baptisms.   By far the thing that Phyllis cherished the most was being able to know and participate in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s lives.  She loved to attend their events or listen to them on the radio when she could.  She was even able to hold her great-great grandchildren and she called them “oh my babies”.

Phyllis is survived by her children: daughter, Sharon (Wes) Husby and their children: Chad (Kristi) Husby, Kim (Joe) Flattum and Shelly (Todd) Larson; son, Daryle (Sue) Toft and their children: Sean(Jody) Toft and Nikki (Josh) Sakry; daughter, Joyce (Pat) McCoy and their children: Teresa (Jeff) Mahoney, Katie Meyer, Kristin (Todd) Broich and Dillan (Jess) Mccoy; 24 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and extended family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Leo in 2013, and her siblings: Marlo Ness and Betty Jensen.  

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