Abigail (Abbie) Ranzau’s Funeral Costs

Hello, my name is Nicole Derke and I have set up this GoFundMe account to help Abbie's family. We are reaching out to our friends, family, and community to ask for your support during this difficult time.

"Abigail “Abbie” Marie Ranzau, born March 8th, 1999, unexpectedly passed away on February 24th, 2024, at the age of 24. Abigail graduated from Gustavus Adolphus college in 2022 with a teaching degree and was working on getting her teaching license. Abigail was an artist in many forms, a photographer, artist, poet, and musician. In high school she performed in show choir, musicals and played clarinet in the band, even becoming a student conductor. She was able to do all that but had terrible stage fright but was able to persevere and give her all.

Abigail was a natural caretaker, taking care of anyone she came in contact with. She loved animals of all kinds, and always had a pet, be it a lizard, hamster, cat or dog. She had a passion for taking care of children, from family gatherings, to babysitting, to the classroom. She had an amazing sense of humor and was always the light in the room. When you talked to her you always knew she was listening to everything you said, and what you were not saying, and she made you feel like you were the most important person. She wanted everyone around her to feel joy and always made sure no one was left out. She had a radiance about her, that just made you want to smile even while you were weeping. She was a light in this world that will continue to burn bright in our lives, someone who always loved, always had time to listen, and was always kind. She found beauty in the world and helped others find the same.

For all that knew, Abbie, she was the sun on a blue sky. She warmed hearts and gave life to everyone around her. She was compassionate and thoughtful and more often than not she always put others first. Abbie was one of those people that you could never forget from her laugh to the way she took care of your heart. She gave life anywhere she went and anyone who has ever had the honor of knowing her knows this.

Abbie always was, and always will be, one of the kindest souls you could meet. She was empathetic, uplifting, and loving. She didn’t care where someone came from, just where they were going and how she could help them get there. No matter what she went through she remained a beacon of hope for everyone surrounding her. In the darkest times she always managed to remind everyone of the light waiting on the other side. If the reminder wasn’t enough she’d do everything in her power to show you that light herself. She loved to find the beauty in the smallest of things. She channeled the love in her into art every chance she got and one of her biggest joys was always sharing that art with the people who fueled it. Her words, pictures, and memories will live on in us forever as we are sure they will with everyone who was given the opportunity to share in them.

Abbie brought joy wherever she went, with a contagious laugh and a smile that could light up the room. She was the best teacher we knew, teaching kindness to her students as well as everyone else she met. Even when things got hard for Abbie, she never lost her smile and her drive to make others happy. Every day was a party, with her random outbursts of singing and dancing. We will never stop celebrating Abbie. Every time we smile, laugh, dance or show kindness her spirit will be with us.

The smiles on our faces. The life within the room. The laughter that’s contagious. The joy that will consume. The never-ending kindness. The love within our hearts. Where the sorrow ends. Is where our Abbie Starts."

We want to honor her memory and provide her with a dignified farewell, and so we ask for your help to lighten the financial burden for her family.

The funeral will be held on March 9th, at 11:00 AM. The address is 12804 Nicollet Ave, Burnsville, MN 55337