Nathan Onsager 1920-2003

ONSAGER, HAGEN, SORUM, JOHNSON

Posted By: S.Ferrall (email)
Date: 6/30/2004 at 15:29:39

Nathan Onsager, 82, of Waukon, died Saturday, October 4, 2003, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon following a brief illness. Funeral services were held Tuesday, October 7 at Glenwood Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, with Pastor Susan Debner officiating. Burial was in Pontopiddan Cemetery, rural Decorah. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon was in charge of arrangements. Nathan Bernard Onsager was born November 14, 1920, on the Canoe Township, rural Decorah farm of his parents, Martin and Olga (Hagen) Onsager. He was baptized and confirmed in Norwegian at the Pontopiddan Lutheran Church and attended the Lee Rural School in Winneshiek County. Nathan did work for many area farmers, including 20 years of work for Clarence Nelson. He loved the farm life and was particularly fond of horses. He always had his own team and said, "that was my saddest day, when they left." He moved to Waukon in 1988 and spent several years mowing lawns and shoveling snow. Since January of 2000 he has been a resident of the Good Samaritan Center. Nathan has been a member of Glenwood Lutheran Church since the closing of Pontopiddan. He enjoyed baseball and softball games, grand old opry type music, and liked to play cards. Some of his favorite times were spent visiting with his family, friends, and neighbors and talking Norwegian over coffee and cookies. Survivors include a niece, Mary Lou (David) Sorum of Decorah; a nephew, Michael (Sara) Onsager of Decorah; a sister-in-law, LaVilla Onsager of Postville; a nephew-in-law, Raymond Johnson of Decorah; and three aunts, Mary Onsager of Waukon, Mary Onsager of Dubuque, and Idella Onsager of Decorah. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Marvin; two infant brothers, a sister-in-law, Lucille Onsager; and a niece, Barbara Johnson. Honorary casketbearers were Vernon Olson, Roger Berg, Clem Dinger, Ray Kvamme, Orin Ehrie, and Bob Rosendahl. Casketbearers were Dr. Scot, Paul, and Brady Sorum; and Shannon, Corey, Josh, and Lindsey Onsager.

©Waukon Standard 2003
source: Waukon Standard, Waukon, Allamakee Co. IA, 10/7/2003