Phyllis Irene Dumdei

PHYLLIS “PAT” DUMDEI, age 95, of Waseca passed away on Sunday, November 10, 2024 at Lakeshore Rehabilitation Center in Waseca. 

Born on May 4, 1929 at her home in Brainerd, Phyllis was the daughter of Frank and Clara (Niels) Behm. After the sixth grade, Pat and her family moved to Arizona for her father’s health. They were there for a short time before returning to Janesville, Minnesota. 

After graduating in 1947, she worked for a year at Sears in Mankato. Pat was united in marriage to Albert Dumdei on May 29, 1948 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville. They rented a house for a few years before buying their fixer upper in 1953. They lived there for 68 years before selling their home in 2021. Together, they had two children: Kathryn and Richard. 

Pat started volunteering as a librarian in 1965 and stopped when computers came in. In her free time, she kept busy with gardening many flowers, especially gladiolas for church all summer long. She also enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, reading, sewing, and coloring. Pat sewed over 1300 diapers for orphanages in Haiti. She also supervised sewing and tying quilts at church mostly for Orphan Grain Train. She was a member at Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville where she was a charter member for Dorcas, Senior Group and the Ladies Aid until they disbanded in 2021. 

Pat is survived by her children, Kathryn (Ronald) Sather of Waseca, Richard (Jennifer) Dumdei of Janesville; six grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, three great great-grandchildren; siblings, Mildred King of San Angelo, TX, Joyce Veir of Stoughton, WI, Bernice Laager of NC.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Dumdei; parents, Frank and Clara Behm; brothers, Hubert and Kenneth Behm; and sisters, Maxine Urbach, Rita Fitzsimmons.

Memorial service will be at 2:00 PM on Friday, November 15, 2024 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at St. John’s Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Iosco Township in Waseca County at a later date.