Colleen M. Pumper

Colleen M. Pumper, age 79 of Faribault, MN, passed away on Friday, May 9, 2025 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.

Colleen Mary was born on August 19, 1945 in Faribault to Harold and Marie (Rowan) Brazil. She was the youngest of four and the only one born at the hospital.

Colleen went to District 39, a one room country schoolhouse, through 8th grade. She then went to Bethlehem Academy for high school.

Colleen graduated from BA with the class of 1963. She completed coursework at Minneapolis Business College and earned an associate medical secretary degree. She worked at St. John’s Hospital in St. Paul for 5 years typing x-ray reports before moving back to Faribault where she worked for another 5 years at the State School and Hospital.

On June 13, 1970, Colleen married Roger Pumper. They had 3 children and her daily lift shifted to motherhood. Colleen was a caregiver for many years to her parents and also spent many hours helping to take care of aunts and uncles.

She developed an interest in genealogy during this time and did a great deal of work researching multiple family trees. Her work is meticulously documented and she loved the discoveries she encountered along the way.

Colleen was a proud member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. She volunteered her time as often as possible, especially in the kitchen where she worked many funeral lunches. She loved sweets - bars in particular - joking over the last week that she’s expecting a large spread of bars from her church friends. (It’s time to pony up, she said.)

Colleen is survived by her children Daniel (Tammy) Pumper, Dennis Pumper, and Diane (Eric) Drier, all of Faribault; three grandchildren, Spencer Schwichtenberg, Keira Drier, and Elsa Drier; brother-in-law, Ron Roelke; sisters-in-law, Frances Brazil and Joyce Gehl; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger; parents; brothers, Gerald Brazil, Kenneth (Joyce) Brazil, and Thomas Brazil; nephew, Jimmy Brazil; and sisters-in-law, Marilyn (Earl) Lambrecht, Donna Roelke, and Barbara “Jean” (Robert) Trump.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. at the Church of St. Patrick, Shieldsville. Interment will be held at St. Patrick’s Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home, Faribault with a Prayer Service and Rosary, led by Brother Lewis Brazil, starting at 7:30 P.M. Visitation will continue for one hour prior to Mass at church.

Funeral arrangements are being completed by the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory.