Lis Tove Jorgensen

Age 99, of Minneapolis. Passed away September 22, 2026

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She loved her grandchildren dearly, and savored good coffee, chocolate, and a glass of white wine while watching Jeopardy.

Survived by children, Karen Jorgensen Royce (Phil Royce), Susan Nielsen (Alan) and Hans Jorgensen (Anna Duus); grandchildren, Will and Lisa Nielsen (Ryan Hammer); Kira and Leif Jorgensen Duus (Marissa Wolff). 

Preceded in death by Iver, her husband of 70 years. 

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Lis was an elder child who loved to read and learn. Her teenage years were bookended by the Nazi occupation, and she shared stories of courage and care from those years that shaped her family’s values. After the war, she traveled by ship to the US, and by train and bus to Lincoln, Nebraska. At the Danish Young People’s Society she met Iver, and they became partners in a marriage that lasted 70 years. 

She was proud of becoming a citizen in 1955. She often stood for the underdog, volunteering at TCOIC and Methodist Hospital. She went back to college in her 50s and valued life-long learning. Her Danish-American heritage wound through many of her relationships through St. Peder’s Lutheran Church, the Danish American Center, Danebod Family Camps and Folk Meetings in Tyler, MN, Solvang, CA, and the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, IA. She vocally supported immigrants, and spoke frequently about the perils of fascism and prejudice. Lis shared her love of reading through helping immigrant children as they were learning to read in Gilroy, CA and in Burnsville, MN. 

She loved her grandchildren dearly, and savored good coffee, chocolate, and a glass of white wine while watching Jeopardy. Throughout all the health challenges, Lis demonstrated thankfulness and persistence. We will miss her, with gratitude for her long influence on our lives.

Celebration of Life will be at 11 AM Saturday, October 10 at St. Peder’s Lutheran Church, 4600 E. 42nd St., Minneapolis, MN 55406. Visitation at the church from 10-11 AM Saturday.

Memorials preferred to St. Peder’s Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, the Danish American Center, and the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa.

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