Kelly Reuter

Kelly Jo Reuter, age 68 of Mapleton passed away Friday October 20, 2023 at the Mapleton Community Home. A memorial service will be held 10AM Friday October 27 at St. Teresa's Catholic Church in Mapleton with Fr. Sawmy officiating. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Burial will take place at Pleasantview Cemetery.

Kelly was born on October 25, 1954 in Mankato, MN to Richard and Lois Dethloff. She graduated from AGT High School in 1973. While furthering her education at Vo-Tech in North Mankato, she met the love of her life Karl Reuter. Karl and Kelly were married on May 15, 1976. Together they enjoyed snowmobile trips, hosting Card Club and Christmas parties, traveling to unique B&Bs and their annual trips to the Amana Colonies. Karl and Kel were especially known for their unique Halloween Costumes.

Karl and Kelly were blessed with three children, Karl Christian (Debbie) Reuter of Amboy, Shelby (Dave) Kirchner of Amboy, and Allegra (Chad) Davey of Mankato and 9 grandchildren. Family was always the most important aspect of Kelly’s life. She would drop anything for her kids or grandkids and gave freely of herself as long as her health allowed.

The community of Amboy was Kelly’s second passion. In 1979 she wrote and published Amboy Minnesota, “A Heritage Rooted in Rural America”, discovering the story of the Red Cow in the process! She helped create Christmas Wonderland and designed beautiful, hand-crafted displays every year. Kelly took pride in running the community Easter Egg Hunt, which she began doing in the late ‘70s, and after 40+ years the event is still going strong. Another love of Kelly’s was all things Maud Hart Lovelace and the Betsy-Tacy books. She was a founding member of the Betsy-Tacy Society and dedicated herself to sharing Betsy-Tacy with anyone she could. Kelly had many amazing talents. She was a wonderful writer, painter, singer, baker and candy maker. Her truffles were a family favorite and always asked for at holidays. Kelly had a talent for sewing and always made the most beautiful Halloween costumes for her kids and grand-kids. Unfortunately, after her diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia at only 63, she lost the ability to use her many gifts and talents, but they will never be forgotten by anyone who knew her.

Kelly will be missed dearly by her children, Karl Christian (Debbie) Reuter of Amboy, Shelby (Dave) Kirchner of Amboy and Allegra (Chad) Davey of Mankato; grandchildren, MacKenzie, Brooke, Reagan, Christian, Quinn, Brennan, Kennedy, Loralie and Baby Davey. Kelly is survived by her aunts and uncles Jim and Marian Boesch, Judy Gollwitzer, Garland and Kathy Hendricksen, Tom and Linda Boesch and her Boesch cousins. She is also survived by siblings-in-law, Gerald (Norma Jean) Reuter, Robert (Dianne) Reuter, Carolyn (Steve) Russell, Margaret (Dale) Janke, Mary (John) Caven, Holly Erdman and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Karl, parents Richard and Lois Dethloff, in-laws Karl and Delores Reuter, aunts and uncles Aryls and Herky Halvorson, Merlyn and Jeanne Boesch and Herman Gollwitzer, sister-in-law Mary Reuter, brother-in-law Daniel Reuter and nephew, David
Reuter.