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Virginia Ann Espersen passed away peacefully on February 25, 2025, at Our House Senior Living in River Falls, WI, at the age of 84. She was surrounded by love, with her granddaughter by her side, spending the night with her in her final moments.
Jeanie is survived by her children: Brad Anfinson (Sue) of Osceola, WI; Lori Boles (Jim) of Prescott, WI; Jill Filkins (Dennis) of River Falls, WI; Jon Anfinson (Laurel) of Ellsworth, WI; Lori Sather (Bob) of Hammond, WI; Dave Espersen (Helen) of Marshalltown, IA; Sue Jenkins (Ross) of Sartell, MN; and Jan Koshalek (Mike) of Neenah, WI as well as 26 grandchildren and 47 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Forest Johnson, Emil, and Florence Sabby; her husbands, Ron Anfinson of River Falls, WI, and Roger Espersen of Apache Junction, AZ; her son, Jeff Espersen of Spring Valley, WI; her brother, Forest (Bob) Johnson of Woodville, WI; and her nephew, Jason Johnson of Baldwin, WI.
Jeanie was born on June 22, 1941, in Baldwin, WI, to Forest and Florence Johnson. She graduated from Baldwin-Woodville High School in 1959 and married Ronald Dean Anfinson on October 3, 1959. They began their life together in Baldwin before moving to River Falls, where they raised their four children. In the fall of 1981, Jeanie tragically lost Ron to a massive heart attack.
Not long after, a man who had endured more loss than anyone should in a lifetime arrived at her door, offering to help with anything she was struggling to manage. Jeanie was a woman of simple plans – she had everything in place except her partner. Stepping forward, she joined Roger Espersen in marriage, blending their families into one with nine children.
Jeanie and Roger were inseparable. Over the next 36 years, they built and remodeled homes together, crafting a life filled with love, hard work, and devotion. Jeanie had a talent for sewing and took great joy in making dresses, shirts, baby clothes, and her specialty handcrafted cradle bedding sets, complete with lace and ribbons, for the cradles Roger built for their grandchildren.
Upon retiring, Jeanie and Roger moved to Arizona, where they enjoyed sunny days, weekly neighborhood coffee and donut gatherings on their patio, and endless laughter with friends. She loved telling stories, playing pranks, and walking her beloved pups in the warm desert sun. Most of all, she was incredibly proud of her grandchildren and could recite what each of them was up to at any given moment an ability that never ceased to amaze those around her.
A celebration of Virginia’s life will be held on June 22, 2025 from noon – 3pm at Mill Pond Park Pavilion (415 Maple Street in Baldwin, Wisconsin). Jeanie will be laid to rest next to her childhood sweetheart and husband of 22 years immediately following at the Baldwin Cemetery. Arrangements are pending with Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services.
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