Vlotho, Mrs. Orville(Nora) 1912-1998

VLOTHO, RICKLEFS, CLAASSEN, JOHNSON, STOFFER, DITTMER, OMEARA, KEPHART, HARTSOCK

Posted By: Janet Schuldt, Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/7/2011 at 15:56:51

Hawarden Independent, Hawarden, Sioux, Iowa, USA Thursday, March 12, 1998 Page 5

Nora Vlotho, 86, of Hawarden, formerly of Ireton, and Hartley, died Friday, March 6, 1998, at the Hass Hillcrest Care Center in Hawarden. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a. m. Thursday, March 12, at St. John's Lutheran Church near Ireton with Rev. David Ericksen of the Hartley St. Paul's Lutheran Church officiating. Burial will be in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Ireton. Visitation began at 11 a. m. Wednesday, March 11, with family present from 6:30 to 8 p. m. at the Porter-Dow Funeral Home.

Nora was born March 3, 1912 near Ireton, the daughter of Herman and Catherine (Claassen) Ricklefs. She was baptized and confirmed in Lutheran faith at St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Ireton. She graduated from Ireton High School in 1930 and attended the Iowa Teachers College in Cedar Falls for two years. She married Orville C. Vlotho on August 19,1933, at the Methodist Minister's Home in Dunlap.

Nora taught elementary education at Rural Reading and Elgin Townships near Ireton for eight years, seven years in the Struble and Le Mars schools and in Rock Valley for 10 years. She taught preschool, called Nornies Nook, for three years in her rural Ireton home. She began teaching in 1931 and retired in 1972. The couple moved to Hartley in 1976.

Orville died October 16,1984.

Nora was the organist at St. John's Lutheran Church for 41 years.

Survivors include two sons and their wives, Rodney and Shirley of Lansing; and Dennis and Sharon at Green Bay, WI., daughter Cynthia Johnson and her husband Jerry, of Hawarden; sister-in-law, Armilda Stoffer, of San Leandro, CA., seven grandchildren, Dan, Vicki, Kathy, Steve, Scott, Doug, and Brian; and four great-grandchildren, Nicholas, David, Hillary and Tanner.

She was preceded in death by one brother, Garret Ricklefs; and five sisters, Amanda Dittmer, Rosina O'Meara, Sophia Dittmer, Florence Kephart and Delores Hartsock