Ina Mae Parr

Ina Mae Parr, age 96, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Friday, August 2, 2024, at Sacred Heart Care Center in Austin. Ina Mae Cole was born on May 29, 1928, in Corning, Minnesota, to Bernard and Lena (Torgerson) Cole. She graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1936. Following graduation, Ina Mae worked for Woolworths in Albert Lea for one year. She then began her 38-year career as a meatpacker at Hormel. Following her retirement from Hormel, Ina Mae worked at Sacred Heart Care Center for 13 years as a home health aide. Her final two retirement jobs took her to Walmart and the SPAM Museum. On February 4, 1950, Ina Mae was united in marriage to Oren Meller Parr at the Conservative Congregational Church in Hollandale. The couple was blessed with two children, Julie and Jeff. Ina Mae loved thrill and adventure. She snorkeled for the first time at 75, ziplined at 79, and loved whitewater rafting, roller coasters, and going on motorcycle rides. She loved life and wanted to experience it. Ina Mae was always ready for anything and everything. When she wanted to relax, she could be found reading, listening to audiobooks, camping, or spending time with her dogs – Honey and Prairie. Most of all, she was so proud of her family. Ina Mae was so grateful to Julie for all the helpfulness and care she gave, and she loved being the biggest fan of Jeff “Charlie”; she went to every concert of his that she could get to. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the absolute joys of her life. We will love and miss her forever.

Ina Mae is survived by her children, Julie Parr and Jeff Parr; grandchildren, Judd (Kami) Thornburg, Porsche Thornburg, Elijah Parr, and Talulah Parr; great-grandchildren, Kailee (Jackson) Hollis, Isaiah Thornburg, and Elliott Gerber; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bernard and Lena; husband, Oren; and siblings, Mildred, Lanora, Meredith, Arlene, and Stella.

The memorial service for Ina Mae will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 12, 2024, at Worlein-Hoff Funeral Home Chapel in Austin. The visitation will take place one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Grandview Cemetery, Austin. Worlein-Hoff Funeral Homes are assisting the family with arrangements.