AMDAHL, Leo Arthur 1906-1999

TORSKE, AMDAHL, DRYER, ZWEIBOHMER, OSMUNDSON

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 9/1/2010 at 12:55:18

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, May 4, 1999

Leo Amdahl

Leo Amdahl, 92, of rural Decorah, died Friday, April 23,1999, at the Aase Haugen Nursing Home after a short illness.

Memorial services were held Wednesday, April 28, at 2 p.m., at the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, rural Decorah, with the Rev. Kim Smith officiating.

Paul Bruvold was the organist. The Ossian Trio sang "Nearer My God to Thee." The congregation sang "How Great Thou Art" and "Amazing Grace."

Honorary pall bearers were Dave and Martha Huinker, Arthur Branhagen, Gene; and Jane Sivesind, Vernon and Mildred Lofte, Duane and Linda Mork Dale and Annette Mork, and Cletus and Jennie Birdsell.

Interment was at the Washington Prairie Lutheran Cemetery. The French & Balik Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Leo Arthur Amdahl was born Nov. 18, 1906, to Berge and Margaretha (Torske) Amdahl in their farm home near Ossian, in Military Township of Winneshiek County.

He was baptized Dec. 18, 1906, by the Rev. Stenerson of the First Lutheran Church, south of Ossian. He was confirmed in the same church in 1920 by the Rev. Andreson.

Leo attended the rural Nesvik No. 6 school near his home through the eighth grade, followed by a business course at Valders College in Decorah and one year in the business college in Mankato, Minn.

In 1925, Leo graduated from the Palmer Barber College in Cedar Rapids, after which he worked as a barber in Stuart for two years.

On Nov. 20, 1930, he was united in marriage with Laura Margaret Dryer in the Little Brown Church near Nashua. Their home was established on one of his parent's farms south of Ossian. To this union two children were born, Douglas on Dec. 11, 1931, and Barbara, Dec. 1, 1932.

Leo and Laura continued to farm there until March of 1945, when his parents moved to Decorah, and Leo and Laura moved to their more modern home with electricity and on a graveled road.

Laura began to work in the Gunderson Dept. Store in Ossian in June of 1946 until 1951, when they moved to Waukon, where she was employed at the J.C. Penney Store.

Leo began his painting career the following spring, which he followed during the summer months until 1982. On Feb. 7, 1966, Leo and Laura purchased the old "Red Oak" school property from Willard and Marie Torgrim, near Washington Prairie Lutheran Church on the Ossian blacktop. They enjoyed restoring and remodeling it into their home.

On April 7, 1996, they sold "Red Oak" to Greg and Carolyn Torgrim, who are the fourth generation to live on the Torgrim farm. From this farm, one-half acre had been sold to District No. 1 for a school house in 1870, at a price of $30. This one-half acre has now been returned to the original Torgrim "Century" farm.

Leo and Laura were offered the opportunity to remain at "Red Oak" as long as they felt physically able. In October of 1997, they moved to Oneota Village in Decorah.

Leo was then 90 and enjoyed fishing, reading, watching TV, and having friends, neighbors and relatives visit. He was hospitalized with pneumonia from Dec. 30, 1998-Jan. 3, 1999. On April 4, he moved to the Aase Haugen Home for further care.

Survivors include his wife, Laura; grandchildren David and Pat Amdahl, Kevin and Sandy Amdahl, and Larry and Trudy Amdahl, all of Riverside, Calif., Brenda and Donald Edgell of Lake Forest, Calif., and Dana and John C. Hoppus of Riverside, Calif.; great grandchildren Lindsey and Derek Edgell of Lake Forest, Calif., Kara and Shanna Amdahl of Riverside, Calif., and Larry D. Jr. and Laurean Amdahl of Riverside, Calif.; nieces Marcella Osmundson of West Union, Darleen and Alvin Huether of Ossian, and Verna and Bob Sand of Decorah; nephews Loren and LaVonne Osmundson of West Union, and Bert and Gwen Amdahl of Minneapolis, Minn.; one sister-in-law, Mrs. Mac Russett of Ulysses, Kan.; one son-in-law, Gerald Zweibohmer of Riverside, Calif.; and several cousins.

Leo Amdahl was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Douglas, who died-April 23, 1980, and his daughter, Barbara Zweibohmer, who died March 28, 1987, both of lung cancer in Riverside, Calif.; his sister Mayme and her husband; his two brothers, Glen Amdahl of Ossian in April of 1932, and John and Mae Amdahl of Decorah; and his niece, Sylvia Osmundson of Mason City.

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