Judi C. Price – Austin

Judi Cecilia Price, 78, of Austin, Minnesota, died Monday, October 26, 2026, at Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

Judi was born February 25, 1948, in Austin, Minnesota, to Wilfred and Laura (Lavallie) Gilgenbach. She attended Pacelli High School in Austin.

In December 1966, Judi married Jim Day in Brownsdale, Minnesota. Together, they adopted two children, Jamey and Jillene. They later divorced. In 1976, Judi married Clifford Pratt in Austin, and together they had two children, Tamara and Tyler. Although Judi and Clifford later divorced, they remained lifelong friends.

Throughout her working years, Judi was a familiar and friendly face to many in the Austin community, working as a cashier and at the meat counter at Cash Wise and Hy-Vee.

Judi was one of a kind and will be remembered for her larger-than-life personality, quick sense of humor, playful nature, and unmistakable love of Dr. Pepper. She loved thrifting and rarely passed a garage sale without stopping to see what treasures might be waiting. She was an avid fisher of bullheads, enjoyed stock car races and games of Royal Rummy, and had a remarkable green thumb. Whether tending a garden or wallpapering a room, Judi had a knack for making things beautiful and was known as a master wallpaperer.

Above all, Judi loved her family. She was an incredibly proud grandmother who loved each of her grandchildren tremendously. More recently, she was delighted to become a great-grandmother, a title she proudly shared with anyone who would listen. Visits with her great-grandson, Liam, were especially precious to her, and the smile they brought to her face would last for days.

Judi is survived by her children, Jamey Pratt of Austin, Minnesota; Jillene (Carrie) Pratt of Rochester, Minnesota; Tamara Pratt of Independence, Iowa; and Tyler (Sarah) Pratt of Austin, Minnesota; grandchildren, Morgan Pratt, Hannah (Miles) Erdman, Chandler (Morgan) Pratt, Chantel Pratt, Jack Sanchez-Pratt, and Ila Ellingson; great-grandson, Liam Erdman; and siblings, Bob (Marsha) Gilgenbach, Beverly (Bob) Kulff, Sue (Mark) Ramseth, and Emma Pluta.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Wilfred and Laura Gilgenbach, and her brothers, Ronald Hunter and Denny Gilgenbach.

A small memorial service will be held at Calvary Cemetery in Austin at a later date. A Celebration of Life is planned for June 2027 in Waterville, Minnesota, the Bullhead Capital of the World, a fitting place to gather, share stories, laugh, and celebrate Judi’s life.