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Jane Nelson Glaser Mooty

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Jane Nelson Glaser Mooty was born in Minneapolis, Minn., Dec. 18, 1921, the daughter of Dr. Harry W. Nelson and Adelia Moren Nelson.

Following graduation from Washburn High School, Jane attended Carleton College before transferring to the University of Minnesota where she graduated from the College of Education. At the university, Jane served as president of her sorority, AOPi and was actively involved in the Lutheran Student Association.

Following graduation, she taught sixth grade at Prescott School in northeast Minneapolis and social studies at Schiller Junior High. Her students published a weekly newspaper, wrote and produced radio shows for the University of Minnesota radio station and conducted glee club concerts and square dancing performances.

In 1947, she married Kenneth C. Glaser, a graduate of the University of Minnesota Business School, who began his career as a CPA with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells. Ken later became actively involved as an owner and officer in automobile dealerships and automobile and truck leasing companies.

Through that involvement, he was instrumental in causing National Car Rental to move its headquarters from New York City to Minnesota. Ken Served as chairman of National until his death.

Jane and Ken were very actively involved in the early years of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hopkins, and they provided the founding challenge gift for Chapel View Care Center in Hopkins. Jane also was active in PEO and served as president. She also served as state president of the CPA Wives Club, president of the Minneapolis Venture Club-Junior Soropodist Club, as well as regional director. She served as president of the Hopkins-Minnetonka Concert Association as well as president of District 270 Parent-Teach Association.

Her daughter, Barbara Glaser (Paul Zachos) resides in Saratoga Springs, New York, and her son Kenneth “Chip” Glaser (Janet), a long-time resident of Edina, Minn., now lives in Scottsdale.

After Ken’s death in 1970, Jane married John W. Mooty, who previously had been married to Jane’s only sibling, Virginia Mae, who died in 1964. Jane was instrumental in transitioning four nephews and one niece into four brothers and a sister. Part of this effort involved numerous trips, including all children and grandchildren to various destinations. Her new children were David N. Mooty (Jeanne), Bruce W. Mooty (Tracy) and Charles W. Mooty (Elizabeth). Jane was blessed in her combined family with 16 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

During her marriage to John, Jane was the first woman to serve on the board of directors of the Minneapolis YMCA, and the first woman to serve on the board of the Minneapolis Automobile Association. Jane also served as a director of Augsburg College, the University of Minnesota Foundation, International Dairy Queen Corporation, Minnesota AAA board and the National Humanistic Education Board in New York. Jane was chairman of Women’s Activities for the Rotary International Convention held in Minneapolis June 9-13, 1974, attended by 10,353 people. She also received the Regents Award from the University of Minnesota in 2009, the highest volunteer award bestowed by the university.

Jane played a critical role in the development of two retirement communities in Arizona, Rio Verde and Tonto Verde. Because of her efforts in the development of these communities, Jane was recognized as one of the initial inductees into the Lower Verde Valley Hall of Fame.

At a Rio Verde Homeowners Association meeting, Jane expressed the desire for the community to build a church, stating that the existing arrangement of holding church services in the country club with choir singing from the club’s bar was inappropriate. She offered an initial challenge gift that, if matched, would permit construction of the church. It was matched in less than two weeks. Protestant and Catholic services are each held in the facility, and both denominations work together on multiple projects.

Jane and John enjoyed extensive travel, including all countries in Europe, North and South America, and a majority of countries in Asia and Africa, with several trips to Australia and New Zealand. Jane enjoyed bowling, boating, tennis and golf, playing golf beyond her 80th birthday, and enjoyed playing bridge her entire life.

The Jane N. Mooty Foundation has focused on gifts to education, youth development and health care and is dedicated to continuing that policy.

Jane was a loving, faith-filled, gifted dynamo and role model who generously gave her time, talents and resources to positively impact countless organizations, charitable causes and persons in need, but her greatest contribution was her legacy of unconditional love for multiple generations of her family.

A celebration of Jane’s life was held April 26, 2016, at Friendship Village in Bloomington, Minn. A gathering of friends preceded the service.

Memorials are preferred to the Glaser-Mooty Campership Fund at the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis or the Rio Verde Community Church in Rio Verde.