Cologne Hortop, 88, Owatonna
Cologne H. Hortop, 88, of Owatonna, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at Benedictine Living Community.
She was born Nov. 26, 1935, in Owatonna, the daughter of Melvin and Edna (Hofius) Jensen. Cologne grew up in Owatonna and graduated from Owatonna High School in 1954.
After high school, she worked for Federated and helped her parent’s sewing drapery and other items for families.
On May 26, 1954, she married Howard Hortop at the First Baptist Church in Owatonna.
Cologne loved to sew and made custom drapes and exam gowns for doctors. She enjoyed being a part of the bowling league for a few years, playing cards with friends, camping on Graves Lake up north, watching the Minnesota Vikings and Twins, and especially attending lunch on Thursdays with “The Lunch Bunch.”
Cologne also volunteered at the Owatonna Hospital and would give people rides if they didn’t have a way to attend their appointments. Howard and Cologne loved to winter in Apache Junction, Ariz. Most of all she loved her children and grandchildren and loved to attend their events that they were involved in. Cologne will be remembered with always having a smile on her face and spreading her positive joy to the people around her.
She is survived by her children, Gary (and Donna Paschall) Hortop of Owatonna, Lori (and Mark) Gedicke of Medford, John (and Sue) Hortop of Faribault; eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter.
She was preceded in death by her husband Howard Hortop; parents Melvin and Edna Jensen; son, Steve Hortop; brother, Dave Jensen; granddaughter Megan Hortop, and twin sister at birth Baby Jensen.
Visitation will be held at Michaelson Funeral Home on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, from 4-7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Michaelson Funeral Home on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, at 11 a.m. with a visitation starting one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in the Owatonna Memorial Gardens in Owatonna. Memorials are preferred to Hospice Patient Fund and the Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary.
Michaelson Funeral Homes of Owatonna is handling the arrangements.