Teddy Jean Ollrich

Teddy Jean Ollrich, age 95, of Mankato, died on Friday night, October 8, 2021.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, October 14, 2021 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mankato. Burial will be at Glenwood Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour before the service at the church.  If so desired, memorials may be offered to Bethlehem Lutheran Church and Bethany Lutheran College. Mankato Mortuary in charge of arrangements.

Teddy was born in Boone, IA on August 26, 1926, to Walter J. and Aline (Edwards) Erickson.  She grew up primarily in Des Moines, IA, and graduated from North High School in 1944.  Following graduation, during the final year of WWII she worked at what was then known as Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio.  She was always proud to have contributed to the war effort, serving as a secretary on the “flight line,” organizing information regarding the air traffic flying in and out of Wright Field.

At the end of WWII she returned home and eventually attended Drake University in Des Moines.  It was there that she met the love of her life and future husband, Arthur Henry Ollrich.   On April 8, 1949 they were united in marriage and remained so for some 58 years until Art’s passing in 2007. 

Together Teddy and Art lived in Ellsworth, IA and Hutchinson, MN, as Art pursued a teaching and coaching career, before moving to Mankato in 1966.  In addition to being a loving mother and homemaker, Teddy held several parttime positions as a bookkeeper in Hutchinson and Mankato, and eventually attained her real estate license and worked at Kvasnicka Realty for eight years.  Teddy enjoyed being active in church activities holding several offices in the Faith Lutheran Church Women in Hutchinson, and the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Women in Mankato.  She also enjoyed the social interaction and community support provided by the Hutchinson Faculty Wives and the Mankato State University Faculty Wives.

During retirement Teddy enjoyed the diversity and excitement of traveling south to the ocean in the winter, north to the lake cabin in the summer, and east to New York City any time of the year.  Consistent throughout, however, was a lifelong passion for bridge. Her later years would find her active in at least six bridge clubs, and Teddy’s children would sincerely like to thank Teddy’s bridge club friends for their love, support, and help in enabling her to play bridge until the very last days of her life.

Those left with cherished memories are her children and their spouses:  Tamra and Jerris Van Roekel of Spirit Lake, IA, Heidi Ollrich of New York City, August and Susan Ollrich of Squaw Lake, MN;  five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one sister, Mary Jane Clithero of Ames, IA; and many nieces and nephews.  Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the lights of her life. 

Teddy was proceeded in death by her husband and by her parents.