Ward, Bessie Jeanette (Halse) -- 1915 - 2000

DINGER, HALSE, WARD, WINTERS

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/4/2010 at 09:28:49

Decorah, Iowa newspaper The Decorah Journal, Aug. 3, 2000.

Bessie Jeanette Ward, 85, of Burr Oak, died Monday, July 31, 2000, at her home after a brief battle with cancer.

Funeral services will be held Friday, Aug. 4, at 11 a.m., at Burr Oak United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Jarnes Dale officiating.

The Rev. Kristen Kvamme will be the organist. Soloist Pat Harvey will sing "On Eagle's Wings" and "Amazing Grace." The congregation will sing "Rock of Ages."

Casket bearers will be Tye Brown, Lee Christopher, Timon Christopher, Brandon Johnson, Jeremy Johnson, Chris Spry and Doug Winters.

Burial will be at the Burr Oak Cemetery. The Fjelstul Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Visitation will be held Friday, one hour before services at the church.

Bessie (Halse) Ward was born March 6, 1915, in Bluffton Township, Winneshiek County, the daughter of John Leigh and Dianthia (Dinger) Halse.

She lived her entire life in Winneshiek County, near or in Burr Oak, attending rural schools.

Bessie was married to Percy Ward June 17, 1933, in the Methodist parsonage in Decorah. To that union three children were born: Johnny, Norrene and Donald.

A homemaker, Bessie also worked at the State Line Restaurant near Prosper, Minn., and spent many years as the custodian of the Burr Oak United Methodist Church. She was a member of the UMW Circle.

Bessie enjoyed gardening, quilting for her family, and baking pies at holidays and cookies for her grandchildren, as well as O'Henry bars and potato salad. Her walnuts at the church bazaar also will be remembered. She also enjoyed her housecat, Tom, for many years.

Survivors include her daughter-in-law, Marilyn Ward of Burr Oak; daughter Norrene and Richard Winters of Marion; son Donald and Dawn Ward of Burr Oak; nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. The grandchildren and great grandchildren are Mary Johnson and Tye Brown of Blaine, Minn., and children Jeremy, Brandon, Amber, Jill and Bobby; Laurie and Timon Christopher of Bluffton and children Lee, Dexter and Adam; Betsy Ward of Decorah and children Courtney and Tanor; Doug and Karie Winters of Cedar Rapids and children Amber and Dallas; Christy Winters of Rockford, Illinois; Dana and Chris Spry of Decorah and children Codey, Cavan and Dylan; Jaime and Daniel Hanson of Rochester, Minn., and son Brendan; and Jennifer and Jacqueline Himmer of Burr Oak.

Bessie Ward was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Nellie; brothers Leigh and Raymond; her husband, Percy, who died July 22, 1988; a daughter-in-law, Carol Ward, who died Sept. 22, 1933; a son, Johnny Ward, who died Nov. 5, 1996; and a step-grandson, Jason Himmer, who died Sept. 11,1997.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.