List of first ladies of Minnesota

The First Lady of Minnesota is an honorary position granted to the wife of the Governor of the State of Minnesota. To date there have been no female governors of the State of Minnesota, and all first spouses have been first ladies.^[1]

First Lady of Minnesota
Incumbent Gwen Walz since January 7, 2019
Inaugural holder	Sarah Jane Sibley
Formation	May 24, 1858
Website	First Lady of Minnesota

The Minnesota Governor's Mansion typically also is the residence of the First Spouse

The current first lady is Gwen Walz, wife of Governor Tim Walz.

First Ladies of Minnesota

Name	Image	Term in office	Birth-Death	Spouse of	Notes
Sarah Jane Steele Sibley		1858-1860	1823-1869	Henry Sibley
Anna Earl Jenks Ramsey		1860-1863	1826-1884	Alexander Ramsey
Ruth Livingston Swift		1863-1864	1827-1881	Henry Swift
Margaret Funk Miller		1864-1866	1816-1879	Stephen Miller
Abby Langford Marshall		1866-1870	1826-1893	William Marshall
Mary Angelina "Lena" Morrill Austin		1870-1874	1835-1910	Horace Austin
Laura Bowman Davis		1874-1876	c.1839-Unknown	Cushman Davis
Mahala Fisk Pillsbury		1876-1882	1832-1910	John S. Pillsbury
Amelia Thomas Hubbard		1882-1887	1843-1923	Lucius Hubbard	Born in Canada
Mary Elizabeth Wilson McGill		1887-1889	1853-1932	Andrew McGill
Laura Hancock Merriam		1889-1893	1850-1943	William Merriam
Nicolina Jacobsen Nelson		1893-1895	1846-1922	Knute Nelson	Born in Norway
Addie Barton Clough		1895-1899	1850-1929	D.M. Clough
Alice Shepard Lind		1899-1901	1859-1942	John Lind
Ruth Hall Van Sant		1901-1905	1848-1928	Samuel Van Sant
Elinore "Nora" Preston Johnson		1905-1909	c.1874-1955	John Johnson
Adele O. M. Koke Eberhart		1909-1915	1874-1945	A.O. Eberhart	First First Lady born in Minnesota.
Vacant		1915-1915		Winfield Scott Hammond	Governor Hammond was not married.
Mary Louise Cross Burnquist		1915-1921	1880-1966	J.A.A. Burnquist
Idelle Louise Haugen Preus		1921-1925	1884-1968	J.A.O. Preus
Ruth E. Donaldson Christianson		1925-1931	1886-1944	Theodore Christianson
Ada A. Krejci Olson		1931-1936	1893-1969	Floyd B. Olson
Medora B. Grandprey Petersen		1936-1937	1896-1997	Hjalmar Petersen
Frances Lillian Miller Benson		1937-1939	1896-1990	Elmer Benson
Esther G. Glewwe Stassen		1939-1943	1906-2000	Harold Stassen	Worked as a secretary in a downtown St. Paul law office
Myrtle Ennor Oliver Thye		1943-1947	1895-1972	Edward Thye
Irene Annet Engdahl Youngdahl		1947-1951	1896-1992	Luther Youngdahl
Lillian Otterstad Anderson		1951-1955	1913-1998	C. Elmer Anderson
Jane C. Shields Freeman		1955-1961	1921-2018	Orville Freeman
Eleanor A. Johnson Andersen		1961-1963	1911-2011	Elmer Andersen
Florence Boedeker Rolvaag		1963-1967	1921-1983	Karl Rolvaag	Worked as a secretary at the literary journal "Southwestern Review" and taught at a business school
Iantha Powrie LeVander		1967-1971	1913-2009	Harold LeVander	Served as a Republican National Committeewoman in the mid-1970s and program chair of the 1976 Republican National Convention.[2]
Mary Christine McKee Anderson		1971-1976	1939-2018	Wendell Anderson	Architect
Delores "Lola" Helen Simich Perpich		1976-1979	1931-2025	Rudy Perpich	Renovated the Minnesota Governor's Residence and opened the residence to the public for the first time.[3]
Gretchen Marie Hansen Quie		1979-1983	1927-2015	Al Quie
Delores "Lola" Helen Simich Perpich		1983-1991	1931-2025	Rudy Perpich
Susan Shepard Carlson		1991-1999	1949-	Arne Carlson
Theresa "Terry" Masters Janos "Ventura"		1999-2003	1955-	Jesse Ventura
Mary Pawlenty		2003-2011	1961-	Tim Pawlenty	State court judge
Vacant		2011-2019		Mark Dayton	Governor Dayton was unmarried while governor
Gwen Walz		2019–present	1966-	Tim Walz

See also

• List of governors of Minnesota