Obituary of Jessie Dell Harper

Jessie Dell Harper died Thursday, December 14, 2023, at the age of 93. Funeral Services will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Sartell, Minnesota at 1:00 p.m. January 13, 2024.

Jessie is survived by her loving family: daughters Jane Harper (John Velin) of White Bear Lake and Anne Funk (Mike) of Stillwater; sons Steven (Sue Parrott) of Bellingham, Washington, Bruce of St. Cloud, Bradley of Irondequoit, New York, Roger (Angelyn) of St. Cloud, and John (Cyndi) of St. Paul; nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; and brothers William and Richard. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands James Harper and Merlyn Benson, and her many beloved dogs.

Jessie was born February 13, 1930, at home on the KC Ranch near Sargent, Nebraska to Aural Alma (Stevens) and Dwight Leslie Greenstreet. Jessie lived much of her young life on a farm near Wrenshall, Minnesota. She married James (Jim) Harper of Carlton, Minnesota on September 24, 1949, and together they raised a family of seven. After Jim's death she married Merlyn Benson on August 30, 1986.

Jessie lived in Duluth, Carlton and Fergus Falls, Minnesota and Minot, North Dakota, before settling down in the St. Cloud area in 1957, where she lived the remainder of her adult life. At the age of 30 with five young children, Jessie exuberantly pursued her post high school education at St. Cloud State University where she received her undergraduate degree in 1963 and her master's degree in 1967. In 1963 she started her teaching and administrative career at Saint Cloud State University where she taught sociology until her retirement in 1994. Jessie received a PhD in sociology from the University of Nebraska in 1976, at which time she became known as "Doctor" Harper. Jessie was active in community affairs in St. Cloud, holding membership and leadership roles in the League of Women Voters since 1955, the Parent Teacher Association, and the St. Cloud Board of Education. She was active in her church communities being an elder at the Presbyterian Church of St. Cloud and taking on many leadership roles in the local Methodist church and with the state School of Missions. She loved gardening, quilting, reading, writing and traveling.

Memorials are preferred to the First United Methodist Church of the St. Cloud Region, where Jessie was a member since 1969.