Jane A. Struss

Jane Audrey Struss, 95, of Red Wing, died peacefully surrounded by her family, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. She was born on March 5, 1930, in Goodhue, to Helen Buchholtz and Gordon Haas. Her family moved to Red Wing in 1940, and she attended Jefferson Elementary and graduated from Red Wing Central High School in 1948. On July 2, 1949, she was united in marriage to the love of her life, Samuel Struss, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Red Wing and together they enjoyed 66 years of wedded bliss. They were blessed with three children, Samuel Jr., Daniel and Jan and resided in Red Wing.

Jane began working at the Red Wing Pottery under her mother and continued there for 20 years until they closed in 1967. While at the Pottery, she painted RW Pottery Dinnerware. One of her favorite patterns was the “Red Apple” and as Jane tells the story, “When I was feeling mischievous, I would paint a worm coming out of the apple as my artistic signature in hope that they’d clear inspection” and some did! As of late, Jane had been the last living artist/painter for RW Pottery. Following her time at the Pottery, she worked at Jostens for nearly 30 years until her retirement.

Jane had a love of music, dance, theater, boating, bowling, golf and shopping. She had been a member of a women’s bowling league, as well as a lifetime member of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary and a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Travel was a must for her — family experiences were always an adventure. Some of the furthest destinations included family trips to Germany, Netherlands, Austria and Hawaii among other domestic destinations. She and Sam also made annual trips to Las Vegas, to enjoy various shows like Wayne Newton, Don Ho and Elvis Presley (twice). They wintered on Fort Meyers Beach in Florida for 30 years, worshiping the sun, sand and seafood.

Jane was the consummate entertainer! She made every holiday and birthday so festive and special for her family. She hosted annual wild game feeds for the “mighty hunters” and their wives. And after painting the town red with friends, they always ended the night at the Struss house for a “final, final” and a bowl of homemade chili or a plate of eggs and bacon. She was an amazing cook and baker. A few of her specialties included Christmas goose with wild rice, oil buns and rhubarb pie—a Struss family secret.

Jane is survived by her two children, Daniel (Shelly) Struss and Jan Struss, all of Red Wing; three grandchildren, Morley and Chloe Struss of Red Wing and Lindy Schutz of Bluestone, Missouri; five great grandchildren and two great- great grandchildren and three nieces, Cynthia (Skip) Anderson, Shari Lampert and Suzanne Buchholtz. She was preceded in death by her parents and stepfather, Alvin Nordeen; husband, Sam; son Sam Jr.; grandson, Bryan Struss and brother, Robert Buchholtz.

Memorial service will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at the Mahn Family Funeral Home, Bodelson-Mahn Chapel in Red Wing. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday and for one hour prior to the service, all at the funeral home. Burial will be at the Burnside Cemetery. A celebration of life will immediately follow the service from 2:30-7:00 p.m. at the Red Wing Elks Club. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Red Wing Kiwanis Flower Basket Fund or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.