Delores Mae Cornelius

Delores Mae Cornelius, age 93, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2026. Born on October 11, 1932, to Peder and Alma Skogrand, she was the youngest of seven children and grew up on a farm near Milan, Minnesota. There she learned the values of hard work, faith, and family that shaped her life. She was baptized and confirmed at Jevanker Lutheran Church in Montevideo and graduated from Milan High School in 1950. In 1952, she was proudly named Fiesta Queen of Montevideo, a memory she treasured.

In 1953, Delores married the love of her life, Don Cornelius of Clarkfield, Minnesota. The couple settled in the Twin Cities, where they created a warm and loving home filled with laughter and Norwegian traditions. A devoted stay-at-home mother, Delores volunteered at Fraser School and faithfully assisted with funeral services at her church, always ready to help others in their time of need. She was known for her exceptional baking, especially her lefse and flatbread, which she prepared with pride and passed down through the generations. Her homemade cookies were a welcome sight to family and friends, each visitor seemingly met with exactly the right treat.

Delores found her greatest joy in time spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who were the light of her life. She also enjoyed embroidering dishtowels and quilting. A strong, beautiful, and wonderfully stubborn Norwegian woman, she lived with steady faith and a generous heart.

She is now reunited in heaven with her parents, her beloved husband of 70 years, Don, her daughter Laurie, her son Lynn, and many dear family members. Delores is lovingly survived by her daughter Gail (Scott) Kleven, son-in-law Greg Youmans, grandchildren Dan (Sara) Youmans, Natalie (Tim) Pust, Andrea (Ryan) Crozier, Kelli (Kyle) Malsom, Braeden (Kaylee) Kleven, and Blake Kleven, and great-grandchildren Caleb and Asher Youmans, Leila, Makiah, and Adelyn Pust, Conrad Crozier, Breken, Everly, and Sylas Malsom, and Brynlee, Makenna, and Nash Kleven. Her legacy lives on in the traditions she cherished, the family she nurtured, and the countless lives she touched with her kindness.