Jean Kay Westlund Monroe

Jean Kay Westlund Monroe, 89, longtime resident of Coon Valley, passed away peacefully Thursday June 12, 2025 at Vernon Memorial Hospital in Viroqua after a brief illness.

Jean was born on October 7, 1935, growing up on the family farm in Prairie Farm, WI. She battled hardship with her two sisters during the last half of the Great Depression, an experience which steeled her to the challenges she would face later in life. Her early education was in a one room school house in Dority Creek, four miles from the farm, graduating in 1953 from Prairie Farm High School.

Besides her seven children, Jean’s greatest pleasure in life stemmed from her interest in antique dolls. She had a vast knowledge of them as well as an extensive collection, which she displayed for many years at the Blanding House Doll Museum in St. Croix Falls, WI. The museum hosted thousands of visitors over its existence. She was also very accomplished at doll repair with people seeking her out to save their treasured childhood memory using her skills. She later moved with her husband to Sedona, Arizona, where her interest in antiques and antique dolls continued for several more years.

Jean was a skilled gardener, and she put her knowledge to work in jobs at Sargent’s Greenhouse in Red Wing, Minnesota, and at Northwest Growers in Chetek. The last twenty years of her life were spent in Coon Valley, a community where she was truly at home. She was a familiar presence at the Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center in Coon Valley – she often volunteered there, especially during their annual Midsummer Fest. In these last couple of years, her favorite past time was watching TV programs featuring Daniel O’Donnell, Polka Joe and Molly B.

What people will remember most about Jean is her sense of humor, her wry view of the world and those who inhabit it, her artistic skills (sorely under-utilized), and her dedication to home life and raising her children to successful adulthood.

Jean is survived by her children, Allen (Jane) Haugen, Wendy (Terry) Feidt, Michael (Terry) Haugen, Robyn Wells, Sally (Alan) Brogan, Nathan Steiro and Sonya Henning (Gary); ten grandchildren, and six great grandchildren and her sister, Lynn (Richard) Geissler of Chippewa Falls.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Sarah and Olaf Westlund, a sister, Patty Haseltine and a nephew, Mark Haseltine.

The last few years of her life, Jean was well-served by the efforts of Laurie Peterson of La Crosse and Michelle Miller of Coon Valley, providing friendship and assisting with her care and daily needs.

A graveside service will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery in Prairie Farm at 1 p.m. on Thursday July 10, 2025. The Seland Funeral Home in Coon Valley is assisting the family. Condolences may be given at selandsfuneralhome.com.