Marguretta "Gretta" Yaeger

Marguretta "Gretta" Yaeger, 94, of Ortonville, MN, passed away on Monday, May 12, 2025, at Ortonville Area Health Services in Ortonville.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. at Living Word Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD. Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Mundwiler & Larson Funeral Home in Ortonville, MN, and will close with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. Pastor Curtis Simonson will officiate. Inurnment will be at South Zumbro Lutheran Cemetery near Kasson, MN. 

The service will be livestreamed and recorded and will be viewable at the bottom of this page.

Marguretta Ann (Ness) Yaeger was born in rural Olmsted County, MN, to L. Norman and Alice (Osmundson) Ness on October 30, 1930. The family moved to rural Kasson in Dodge County when she was about one and half years old. She was baptized and confirmed at South Zumbro Lutheran Church in Kasson.

Schooling consisted of rural country school, Kasson High School, Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and further study courses. She worked at Mayo Clinic to pay for college. In 1959, Marguretta came to Ortonville to work for Big Stone County as a social worker.

On October 21, 1961, she and Robert Yaeger were married in Kasson, MN. She continued working full time until their first child, Joel, was born. Later, they had a daughter, Janet (Jan). When the children were of school age, she started helping Bob in his optometric practice, which she did until they retired. In retirement, they traveled to a number of other countries as members of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity.

They were members of First English Lutheran Church in Ortonville for many years. Gretta was active in many facets on the local, conference, and synod levels. One of her favorites was working with and teaching youth, which she did for over 30 years. Her faith was very important to her and she wanted to pass this on. In 2010, they transferred to Living Word Lutheran Church in Milbank.

She also contributed leadership and effort to other community and optometric organizations. These included: Minnesota Optometric Auxiliary, including acting as co-chair of the scholarship committee for 25 years.

Member of the Minnesota chapter of the Foundation for Vision Awareness.

Member of area congregational groups for Lutheran Brotherhood and Thrivent. Minnesota-side membership secretary of the Chautauqua Community Concert Association. Member of the Ortonville Hospital Auxiliary.

Gretta is survived by her husband, Robert Yaeger; children: Joel of Edina, MN; and Jan of Seldovia, AK; brother, Donald Ness and his wife, Dorene; as well as sisters-in-law: Judith Ness; Irene Ness; and Marion Glasow; many nieces and nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents: Norman and Alice; her brothers: Anders Ness and James Ness; sister, Norma Aarsvold; and brothers-in-law: Robert Aarsvold and Duane Glasow.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to a charity of your choice.