Colette Franta, age 93, of New Ulm passed away Monday, May 12, 2025 at her home in Southview Living Center in Gibbon.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Saturday, May 17, 2025 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm. Father Gerald Meidl will celebrate the Mass. Burial will be held at 1:45 p.m. Saturday at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Cemetery in Lafayette.

Visitation will be 8-10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 17, 2025 at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home – North Chapel in New Ulm

The Christian Mother's Society will pray the rosary at 4 p.m. Friday, May 16, 2025 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm.

To leave an online condolence for the family, or to sign the guestbook, please visit: www.mvfh.org.

Colette is survived by her daughters, Jeanette Wilson of New Ulm, Barb Franta & Dennis Nelson of Tonka Bay, Rose (Ron) Wieland of New Ulm, Julia (Jerry) Oscarson of New Ulm; son, Rodney (Jennifer) Franta of Apple Valley; 13 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; sisters, Kay (Jim) Bratsch, Joleen (Bob) Hoffmann, Deb (Bryan) Meyer; brother, Gary (Marilyn) Vait; sisters-in-law, Rosemary Vait, Rosemary Reinhart; and many extended family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jerome Franta; son, David Franta; son-in-law, Dennis Wilson; sisters, Mary (Ron) Dalueg, Marlene (Stanley) Herschman; and brothers, Leroy, Francis, and John Vait.

Colette Cecilia Vait was born February 21, 1932 to William and Cecilia (Schneider) Vait on their home farm in Ridgely Township. Colette graduated from Fairfax High School. On April 25, 1951, Colette was united in marriage to Jerome P. Franta in Fairfax. Their union was blessed with six children. In addition to being a wife and mother, Colette worked as a home health aide. From 1969 to 1984, she worked for Nicollet County. Colette then relocated to Brown County and worked from 1984 until she retired in 2004. In her free time, Colette enjoyed volunteering at the hospital, playing cards with family and friends, reading, and cutting hair. She was also a talented seamstress, sewing many of her own clothes and her children's clothes. Colette also made sweatshirt quilts for family, friends, and veterans. She was a member of the Catholic Aid Association, the Christian Mother's Society, and the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Many fond memories were made with her card clubs, time spent at Lake Jefferson, and all the time she was able to spend with her family. Colette will be dearly missed by those that knew her. Blessed be her memory.