Witham, Myrtle (1920-2012)

WITHAM, FLUGUM, HOLSTAD, HEIMDAL, HACKER, HOPKINS, CLAUSEN, BORG, SWALVE, HOPP, BLACK, BROCK, MELING, FOERSTER, ROBERTS, FURIOSI, PETERSON, JENSEN, WILSON, RIEKENA

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 1/22/2012 at 14:39:18

Myrtle Witham
(January 19, 1920 - January 14, 2012)

Surrounded by five generations of family, Myrtle Witham, age 91, passed from this life to be with her Savior on Saturday, January 14, 2012.

Myrtle (Flugum) Witham was born on January 19, 1920, in Winnebago County, Iowa, to Edward and Andrina (Holstad) Flugum. She was the oldest of eight children. Myrtle attended first country school and then Leland High School in Leland, Iowa. When she began school, she could not speak a word of English, only Norwegian.

On September 8, 1940, Myrtle married Robert Witham at the Lutheran parsonage in Thompson, Iowa. Myrtle found great joy in cooking, baking, gardening, and visiting with friends, but most of all in interacting with her generations of family. She also enjoyed over a decade at the Lake Mills Care Center, participating in all the activities (especially BINGO) and befriending residents and visitors alike.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband of over seventy-one years, Robert, of Forest City, Iowa; four children, Marilyn Heimdal, of Forest City, Iowa, Jeanne (Gordon) Hacker, of Emmons, Minnesota, Wendy (Wayne) Hopkins, of Forest City, Iowa, and Richard (Lisa) Witham, of Snohomish, Washington; twelve grandchildren, Teresa (Bill) Clausen, of Mason City, Iowa, Tanya (Dale) Borg, of Forest City, Iowa, Valarie (Craig) Swalve, of Garner, Iowa, Victoria (Randy) Hopp, of Kansas City, Missouri, Natalie (Jerry) Black, of Chandler, Arizona, Tamie (Jason) Brock, of Forest City, Iowa, Brad (Jennifer Henderson) Hacker, of Lake Mills, Iowa, Trisha (Mark) Meling, of Garner, Iowa, Travis (Melissa) Hopkins, of Forest City, Iowa, Lisa (John) Foerster, of Chandler, Arizona, and Whitney and Caitlin Witham, both of Snohomish, Washington; twenty-six great grandchildren; and six great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by a brother, Marvin (Deon) Flugum of Emmons, Minnesota; a sister, Arlene (Roger) Roberts, of Mason City, Iowa; a brother-in-law, John Furiosi, of San Francisco, California; a sister-in-law, Margaret Flugum, of Lake Mills, Iowa; two aunts, Martha Peterson, of Lake Mills, Iowa, and Agnes Jensen, of Grand Meadow, Minnesota.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Rollin, at birth; a great grandson, Zachary A. Witham; her siblings, Elmer Flugum, Agnes Furiosi, Lenore and Ira “Bud” Wilson, Wayne Flugum, and Duane Flugum, two sons-in-law, Peter Riekena and Merlyn Heimdal.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, January 19, 2012, at Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church, rural Joice, Iowa, with Pastor Kevin Olson officiating. Burial will take place in Bethel Lutheran Cemetery.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street, Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Thursday.

Copyright © 2012, Mittelstadt Funeral Home

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