Tollefson, Virginia Ruden (Childs) -- 1911 - 1999

MILNER, CHILDS, TOLLEFSON, WILSON, SWANSON, NICHOLS, COUNCILMAN, ANDERSON

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 8/9/2010 at 18:00:47

Decorah Journal, Thursday, July 15, 1999 and Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, July 20, 1999

Virginia Tollefson

Virginia Tollefson, 87, of Rochester, Minn., and formerly of Mabel, Minn., died Monday, July 12, 1999, at the Charter House in Rochester.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, July 17, at 11 a.m., at the Mabel United Methodist Church in Mabel, with the Rev. David Laechel officiating.

Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church. There will be no reviewal.

Memorials may be give to the Mabel Public Cemetery or the American Red Cross. The Mengis Funeral Home in Mabel is in charge of arrangements.

Virginia Ruden (Childs) Tollefson was born in St. Paul, Minn., July 19, 1911, the daughter of Benjamin and Aurelia (Milner) Childs.

She was quite active in her high school years at Owatonna, Minn. She belonged to the Latin Club, the school's orchestra and girls glee club, the Thespians, the school newspaper, girls swim team, Stylus club, Mask and Wig Club, Declamation and Luther League.

As a 4-H member, she won a ribbon in bread baking and judging at the Minnesota State Fair.

Virginia, was president of her class as a senior in high school and also was an honors student, graduating in 1929.

She attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, graduating in 1933 with a degree in English. While at the university, she was a member of Kappa Rho (an honorary forensics organization), Minnesota Masquers, Chi Omega sorority, and Trailers Club.

On Aug. 24, 1933, she was married to Donald Tollefson of Mabel, Minn, in a ceremony in the Twin Cities. They moved from St. Paul to Mabel in 1936. The couple lived in Mabel until 1996, when they moved to Rochester.

In the early 1960s, Virginia helped organize the Gray Ladies Auxiliary at Green Lea Manor, where she began a monthly newsletter which continued until the 1990s. She was a Red Cross volunteer chairing local blood drives and received a war Service Award from the office of Price Administration.

Virginia was a Mabel P.T.A. officer and a Sunday School teacher The couple were members of Onoetoa Golf and Country Club in Decorah. She won numerous gold trophies.

Also, Virginia was on the boards of Zumbro Valley Mental Health and the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, where she also served as a hostess for visiting celebrities.

Survivors include her husband, Don; her half-brother, Henry Councilman of Proctor, Minn.; her daughters, Susan and David Wilson of East Providence, R.I., Nancy and Richard Swanson of Swansea, Mass., and Betsey and Jimmy Nichols of Mabel; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Virginia Tollefson was preceded in death by her sister, Aurelia Anderson, and a grandson, Craig Nichols.

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