Lorraine Redig

Celebration of Life - Open House - Sunday July 31, 2022, 1-4 PM at the family farm at 27689 Gilmore Ridge Drive, Winona. Sponsored by her children and grandchildren.
If you can join us to share your memories and help us honor her life and legacy, an RSVP by 7/21 would be appreciated.  RSVP to sharonbmad@gmail.com.

If you can’t attend, please share your favorite memories of Lorraine in the online guestbook at https://www.watkowski-mulyck.com

Lorraine Margaret (Kallas) Redig, 92 years old, died peacefully on Friday, January 28, 2022, at Benedictine - St. Anne in Winona.

Lorraine was born on March 26, 1929, to John and Barbara Kallas, near Leola, South Dakota.  She came to Winona after high school to help her aunt and uncle, where she met her uncle’s younger brother, Arthur Redig. They married in June 1950.

Art and Lorraine bought the home farm where Art grew up. Lorraine fed her young family primarily with produce from her garden and milk/eggs/meat from the farm. She shared her love of sewing with her daughters. She made huge batches of bread, sometimes 24 loaves at a time. In later years, Pumpkin Cream Cheese rollups were a favorite at family gatherings.
In addition to raising 11 children, Art and Lorraine opened their home to high school foreign exchange students and a family of 4 from Peru, plus over 20 foster children. They invited international students for family holiday gatherings.

She encouraged a love for reading and lifelong learning. She regularly took her children to the library, and read them countless Dr. Seuss and other children’s books. She collected and wrote her childhood memories, plus compiled and documented other family history and genealogy to share with family. She used her self taught Photoshop skills to combine a person’s photo with her original painting of Jesus, and created “Jesus Loves (insert person’s name)” for family members and people in the community.
She enjoyed growing unusual plants, such as winter hardy Kiwi and Corkscrew Willow trees, and made canes from the oddly curled branches. Gardening for her was a shared community endeavor. She welcomed Hmong gardeners, a very honored gardener, Bishop Harrington, and several priests.  She continued Art’s tradition of large sweet corn plantings, followed by family corn picking/cutting/freezing parties.

Lorraine and Art traveled to Brazil and Peru to visit with their adopted overseas family members, and went to the Philippines and Puerto Rico to research farm crisis issues. Lorraine testified before Congress about the farm crisis. They went on a trip to the Holy Land, and traveled selling aerial photos for son John’s Scenic Aerial business.

Lorraine and Art shared an early passion for being stewards of the land they till and saving it for future generations. They were active in Catholic Aid Society, Farmers Union, Campaign for Human Development, Land Stewardship Project, Hometown Resource Center, and more.

Lorraine led a tireless crusade with letters to the editor, countless emails and hundreds of handwritten notes that simplified farm and economic problems into black and white: Gods greatest commandment / equal justice and opportunity for all. Her passion for these issues remained in her consciousness into her 92nd year even as her memory started to fade on other aspects of her life and surroundings.

She taught catechism, initiated praying the rosary before Mass, and was active for years in her bible study group and a prayer chain. Their farm was chosen for the Winona Diocese Harvest Mass in 2004. Lorraine was an active member of Winona Council of Catholic Women, Catholic Aid Association, Ladies Aid, and Catholic Rural Life Committee.

Lorraine is survived by her sister Mildred; children, Jeanne (Bob) Bilder, Ramona (Ed Lagace) Redig, Marilyn (Gene) Hostetler, Sharon (Dan) Madison, Nick (Lynn Hickisch) Redig, Michele (Joe) Thill, John (Marina Arcega) Redig, daughter-in-law Carmell (Aldinger) Redig, Tim (Melanny Janaban) Redig, and Deanna (Bob) Brekke; 20 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren (another one coming soon), and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Arthur; son, Peter; daughter, June; grandson, Andy Petersen; brothers Francis and Jerome Kallas; sisters Marie Schloegel and Rita Schloegel, and beloved niece/goddaughter Laurie Kathryn (Schloegel) Loeb.

Celebration of Life - Open House - Sunday July 31, 2022, 1-4 PM at the family farm at 27689 Gilmore Ridge Drive, Winona. Sponsored by her children and grandchildren.
If you can join us to share your memories and help us honor her life and legacy, an RSVP by 7/21 would be appreciated.  RSVP to sharonbmad@gmail.com.

If you can’t attend, please share your favorite memories of Lorraine in the online guestbook at https://www.watkowski-mulyck.com

Lorraine made the gift of her body to Mayo Clinic for research, and a Memorial Mass was held on February 3, 2022 at Immaculate Conception Church in Wilson.  Burial will be held later at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Wilson.

The family prefers memorials be directed to Hometown Resource Center, St. Charles, Land Stewardship Project, Lewiston, or Catholic Rural Life Committee.