LEVORSON, Calvin O 1928- 2007

LEVORSON, ESPELUND, TAETS, HEER

Posted By: Diane M Scott (email)
Date: 4/4/2012 at 16:11:42

Calvin O. Levorson

RICEVILLE — Calvin O. Levorson, age 79, died at home in Riceville surrounded by his family on Friday, (June 22, 2007).

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 26, at St. Paul’s Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, Elma, with the Rev. Dan Christensen officiating. Burial will be at the Riverside Cemetery in Riceville.

Friends may call from 4 until 7 p.m. on Monday, June 25, at the Lindstrom Funeral Home in Riceville.

Calvin was born in Osage, Iowa, on June 3, 1928, to Inga Oline (Espelund) and Oscar Berant Levorson.

Calvin grew up on a farm located near Northwood with his parents and his grandparents. Calvin’s grandparents always spoke to him in Norwegian, and he had fond memories of each including singing Norwegian songs with his grandmother on the rope swing, learning multiplication tables with his grandfather and receiving shoes made by his grandfather.

There were many chores on the farm, and Calvin spent many an early morning milking cows with his dog, Lassie.

Calvin’s family didn’t have much, like most folks during the Depression years, but they always had a workshop. It was there that Calvin began to learn about carpentry and woodworking from his father. Calvin also spent many hours tinkering with old radios and learning about electricity. His family was fascinated when Calvin wired their first Christmas lights.

Calvin attended schools in Otranto and Northwood. In high school he applied his electrical understanding as he worked on the lighting for school plays. Calvin had fun in school. You might say he was a bit of a prankster, but given a bet with his cousin, Janiece, he could make the grade if desired.

Calvin enlisted in the U.S. Army the day after his 18th birthday — June 4, 1946 — and served in the occupation forces in Japan until January of 1948.

In March 1948, Calvin began working at Lenz Brothers in Riceville as a body and fender man. About this time Calvin began courting Kathryn Taets, often giving her rides between Riceville and Osage when she worked weekends at the Snack Shop. The two of them were married on June 15, 1951, at the St. Ansgar Lutheran Church parsonage.

To this union were born a daughter, Sandra, and a son, Keith. In 1951, Calvin also began working at the Riceville Post Office as a substitute rural carrier. He later became a substitute clerk and then a regular clerk, until President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to the position of Riceville postmaster in 1959.

He served in this position until his retirement on June 3, 1983.

Calvin most recently said, “I’m happy that I moved to Riceville. I enjoyed serving as postmaster and getting to know all the customers. The people in Riceville have always been friendly; I’ve had many good friends. It’s been a good place to live.”

Calvin had a passion for learning and never seemed to tire until he mastered the skill or interest. He learned to be a carpenter, a woodworker, a stonemason and an electrician.

He and Kathy built their first home in Riceville. Calvin later built an addition to the home for which he taught himself how to cut and lay stone for the fireplace and other stonework in the home. Having a dream to build a limestone house, in 1977, he worked many a late night cutting and laying stone to make that dream come true. He did other limestone projects around Riceville including building the fireplace at the Riceville Country Club with the help of John Moss.

Through the years, Calvin built everything from houses to cabinets to furniture to wooden toys for his children and grandchildren, including a playhouse for his granddaughters and the grandsons’ favorite, stilts.

He also did the electrical wiring in his homes and many of the homes owned by friends and his children. He was always available to help his children with many home improvement projects and to answer the “how to” questions, for which he always seemed to have the answer.

Calvin never lacked for hobbies; he was forever collecting something. For a while he collected pens and stamps. Collecting coins, he would often sit at the kitchen table for hours with his wife, Kathy, searching through bags of coins.

As a rockhound, he enjoyed hunting for everything from agates to petrified wood to geodes. Cutting and polishing rocks, he set many stones in the making of jewelry. He was fascinated by the history of his collection of arrowheads and Pre-Columbian artifacts, but Calvin’s greatest passion was to collect and study fossils.

Calvin’s interest in fossils led to many geological and paleontological contributions through his research, collaboration, publication and the leading of many field trips.

In 1975, Calvin received the Iowa Academy of Science Centennial Award in observance of the 100th anniversary of its founding. In 1987, Calvin and his good friend, Art Gerk, were honored with the presentation of the Paleontological Society’s Harrell Strimple Award for achievement in paleontology. Being amateurs in the field, this award was especially gratifying.

Large portions of Calvin’s fossil collection have been donated to the Smithsonian Institute, the University of Iowa and various other recipients. As he wished, the remainder of his collection will be donated to the University of Iowa.

Researching his Norwegian roots and ancestry was another of Calvin’s delights. Visiting court houses and cemeteries, visiting and corresponding with cousins all over the world and a trip to Norway and Belgium with Kathy, led to many wonderful experiences as he pursued his interest in geneology.

Calvin was a proud Norwegian, some might even say a stubborn Norwegian, but for those who knew him well, they recognized the tender heart that existed under that exterior.

Above all else, Calvin’s greatest joy was his family, and his favorite times were those when he was able to gather the fold around him.

He is survived by his wife, Kathryn Levorson of Riceville; his daughter, Sandra (Steve) Heer of Dubuque; his son, Keith (Linda) Levorson of Riceville; four grandchildren, Nicholas Heer of Overland Park, Kansas, Luke Heer of Dubuque, Kristy Levorson of Iowa City, Kimberly Levorson of St. Ansgar; four step-grandchildren: Derek, Darren, Corey and Kelsey Reddel, all of Riceville; two sisters-in-law, Geraldine (Gary) Torney of Riceville, Maxine (Vernon) Falck of Cresco; a niece, Connie (Dean) Eastman of Riceville; three nephews, Randy (Amy) Torney of Riceville, Dennis Falck of Cresco, Dan Falck of Ridgeway, and the grand-doggy, Patches.

Calvin was preceded in death by his parents; a sister-in-law, Rosalene Kinter and her husband Gerald Kinter; many cousins and friends.

Calvin’s life journey was one of love and happiness with family and friends, and pure pleasure and satisfaction out of learning and doing. In celebration of his life, memorials may be given to St. Paul’s Maple Leaf Lutheran Church or Hospice of North Iowa.

Lindstrom Funeral Home, Riceville, 641-985-2242.

Globe Gazette, Sunday June 24 2007