Tollefson, Emma Josephine (Skaim) -- 5/28/1912 - 12/19/2000

UNDERDAHL, SKAIM, TOLLEFSON, SMOCK, WANLESS, LANGFITT, STOEN, WOLRAB, LUBAHN, CARLSBORG, VANDRESAR, ANDERSON, GULRUD, SUTTON

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 6/30/2010 at 08:09:56

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, December 26, 2000

Emma Josephine Tollefson

Emma Tollefson, 88, of Decorah, died Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2000 at the Aase Haugen Home in Decorah.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. at Glenwood Lutheran Church with Rev. Susan Debner officiating.

Organist was Kathy Tollefsrud. Soloist Michelle Slick sang "My Faith Looks Up to Thee," and "I Need Thee Every Hour." The congregation sang "Jesus Loves Me," "Comfort, Comfort, Now My People," "Silent Night, Holy Night," "What A Friend We Have in Jesus" and "Away in a Manger."

Pallbearers were her grandchildren: Billy Frey, Brian Langfitt, Corey Lubahn, Dennis Smock, David Tollefson, Randy Tollefson, Michael Van Dresar and Vincent Wolrab. Honorary Pallbearers were her additional grandsons.

Burial was at Pontoppidari Cemetery, with Fjelstul Funeral Home handling the arrangements.

Emma Josephine Tollefson was born May 28, 1912 in Glenwood Township to Ben and Olina (Underdahl) Skaim.

She attended rural school in Glenwood Township.

On Dec. 12, 1928, she married Leo Tollefson at Ridgeway Parsonage with Rev. D.C. Jordahl officiating. They celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary this month.

Survivors include her husband, Leo Tollefson, and 9 children: Lucille Smock of Decorah; Elaine and Don Wanless of Cherokee Village, Ark.; Sandra and Earl Langfitt of Cedar Rapids; Leonel and Mary Tollefson of State Center; Darlene and Gene Stoen of Decorah; Ardyce and Vincent Wolrab of Cedar Rapids; Jimmy and Patricia Tollefson of Decorah; David and Dawn Tollefson of Decorah and Julie and Dennis Lubahn of Cedar Rapids.

Additional survivors include 41 grandchildren, 73 great-grandchildren, 8 great-great grandchildren, one; brother, Oscar and Hazel Skaim of Decorah, and one sister, Lillian Carlsborg of Decorah. Emma Josephine Tollefson was preceded in death by two sons, Bennie Tollefson in August of 1992 and Theodore Tollefson in July 1978; one daughter, Vernelle Van Dresar on Dec. 30, 1998, four sisters, Clara Anderson, Anna Anderson, Minnie Gulrud, and Louise Sutton, two brothers, Joseph and Melvin Skaim, and one brother and one sister in infancy.

She was also preceded by two grandsons, Daniel Tollefson and John Franklin, three great-grandchildren: Amber Frey, Alane Smock and Austin Van Dresar.

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