Janice Margaret Tolifson

Janice Margaret Tolifson, age 73, of Norcross, MN passed away Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at Essentia Health in Fargo, ND.

A Memorial Mass was held Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Charles Catholic Church in Herman, MN with Fr. Stanley Wieser Celebrant. Organist was Marilyn Backman with special music provided by Karen Tolifson. 

Burial was held at Lakeside Cemetery in Herman immediately following the service. Urn Bearers were Janice’s grandchildren: Shane Tolifson, Kyle Tolifson and Brianna Berg. Lunch was served after the service at the Herman Community Center.

Janice “Jan” Margaret Tolifson was born the second of three children to Charles and Dody (Reckner) Jones. Jan was the older twin to her sister Joyce Jones by twenty minutes and never let Joyce forget it! She was born in Morris, MN on February 21, 1950. She attended Herman High School with a graduating class of fifty. After graduation, she worked in Minneapolis at Northwestern Bell. Two years later she moved back home and married her high school sweetheart, Randy Tolifson on September 12, 1970. Two children were born to this union; Michael Scott Tolifson and Tammy Rae Berg.

In 1972, Jan and her sister Joyce entered into a partnership, buying the Norcross Café and calling it the Double J Café. Janice also spent a long time working at the Herman Review and enjoyed working and helping Denny and Faye Vipond out at Denny’s Café for years. Janice also worked several other jobs throughout the years.

Janice was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She never missed a sporting event or any program her kids or grandkids were involved in. Jan and Randy spent many years snowmobiling, joining a bowling league and golfing. Later on in life, she enjoyed playing cards with her friends at the lake and spending her winters in Florida as a snowbird!

Her legacy lives on through her devoted husband Randy; children: Michael (Hazel Miller) Tolifson, of Browns Valley, MN; and Tammy (Steve) Berg, of Big Lake, MN; grandchildren: Shane Tolifson, Kyle Tolifson and Brianna Berg; siblings: Dave (Rhonda) Jones, and Joyce Jones.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents: Charles and Dody Jones; parents-in-law: Leslie and Deloris Tolifson; brothers-in-law: Marlin Tolifson; Ronnie Tolifson; David Tolifson; and Charles Lone; sister-in-law Vicki Tolifson; nephews: Galen Tolifson and Steve Tolifson; niece Lisa Lewis; and great-nephew Mitchell Kleindl. 

To sign the online guestbook, watch the video tribute or service recording visit www.bainbridgefuneralhome.com.