Cleo Busian

Cleo Joanne (Kisro) Busian was born to Otto and Inga (Moen) Kisro on their family farm in Dover Township on the 18^th of August 1927.  There she spent her growing up years with her younger brother Keith, where she observed and acquired a strong work ethic from her parents. 

Cleo walked to the district 48 country school house less than a mile due West of her home to attend kindergarten and first grade.   After first grade and all through high school she went to Dover to school.  She made many good memories with classmates and friends, was a high school cheerleader and graduated valedictorian of her class of 1945. 

After high school she pursued a career in nursing, first enrolling in the Methodist Kahler Cadet Nurse Corp, and later completing senior training to graduate as a Registered Nurse in 1948.  Her training at the University of Minnesota maternity units was her favorite.

Cleo married Terry Keith Busian in the Dover, Minnesota Methodist church on 13 November 1948.  They first lived on the original Busian homestead one mile South of Dover for two years and after that bought their own farm South of St. Charles, Minnesota, where they farmed the remainder of their lives.  Cleo was a devoted support and help to her husband throughout their time on the farm and also worked as nursing opportunities allowed.  She worked at St. Mary’s hospital on various floors and later private duty nursing over a course of 25 years.  Later, the St. Charles nursing home offered work closer to home without the commute.  She began work at the nursing home in 1972 and retired from there after 37 years of service in 2009.  Terry and Cleo raised 5 children to whom they also passed a discipline for work.  This always included planting, cultivating and processing a very large garden.  Cleo was always a loyal and true friend to her family and others.  She had a rare gift of being truthful while at the same time avoided speaking negatively about others.  She was very musically talented, especially in singing, and learned to play her mothers’ upright piano by ear.  She was a very good dancer and liked to watch others dance.

In later years, Cleo was a talented quilter and made many handmade quilts, giving them as loving gifts to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and other family and friends.  Her talent for color selection and design earned many compliments.  She continued to cook and can foods as well as sew until shortly before her death on July 15, 2023.

Cleo was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and two half-brothers Floyd and Obed Olson.  Surviving children and family include: one brother, Keith (Patricia) Kisro of Dover and five nieces and a nephew; five children, Stephani (Paul) Price of Rochester, Tom Busian of St. Charles, Brian Busian of Long Beach, Calif., Dan (Tracy) Busian of Woodbury, Minn., and Scott (Darla) Busian of St. Charles Minn.;  eight grandchildren - Jeff, Eric, Matthew, Karyn, Connor, Garrett, Chad and Chase Busian;  and nine great grandchildren.

Funeral Services for Cleo will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 22 at the Hoff Funeral Home of St. Charles. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the Funeral from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Interment will be held at Evergreen Cemetery of Dover.

Services will be Live Streamed at the following link: https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTY4OTY0NDA4OTI2MjEyNyZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==