OTTERHOLT, Dr. Erland 1915-2000

HEGNA, OTTERHOLT, THOMPSON, EHRIE, HANSON, BRAA, BARBER, KAROW

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 10/6/2010 at 16:46:39

Decorah Journal, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2000

Dr. Erland Otterholt

Dr. Erland Otterholt, 84, of Decorah, formerly of Janesville, Wis., died Monday, Feb. 14, 2000, at the Aase Haugen Home in Decorah, following a
long illness.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m., at the Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, with the Rev. O Paul Hougen officiating.

Visitation will be held at the funeral home one hour before services.

Alan Sensor will be the organist. The congregational hymns will be "Amazing Grace" and "Behold a Host."

Burial will be at St. John's Lutheran Cemetery in Spring Valley, Wis., Thursday, Feb. 17, at 3:30 p.m.

In addition to the Fjelstul Funeral Home, the Keehr Funeral Home in Spring Valley, Wis., also is handling arrangements.

Erland was born Sept. 18, 1915, at Chetek, Wis., the son of Edward and Clara (Hegna) Otterholt.

He attended Chetek Public Schools and graduated from Luther College in Decorah in 1938, and from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1942.

On March 27, 1943, he married Thelma Thompson of Spring Valley, Wis., at St. John's Lutheran Church there.

After an internship at the California Hospital in Los Angeles, he was associated with Dr. R. C. Hartman of Janesville, Wis., in the general practice of medicine.

He then returned to Los Angeles for his specialty residency. After that, he
became associated with the Pember-Nuzum Clinic - now the Janesville Riverview Clinic - in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. This association continued, except for two years of military service, until his complete retirement in 1983.

As a captain in the United States Army Medical Corps, he served one year each at the 98th General Hospital in Munich and the 5th General Hospital in Stuttgart, Germany, where he was chief of the obstetrics and gynecology section.

Since 1948, he had been a member of First Lutheran Church in Janesville, Wis. He was a member and past president of the Mercy Hospital Medical Staff. He belonged to the Rock County and the Wisconsin Medical Societies, and the American Medical association.

Erland was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and a diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The Nordland Lodge No. 544 of the sons of Norway lists him as a charter member. He also was a member of the Blackhawk Golden K Kiwanis Club.
He had membership in the American Numismatic Association and related to a hobby in genealogy were memberships in the Telelag of America and the Gudbrandsdalslag.

Erland also enjoyed reading, listening to mostly classic music, volunteer work and home maintenance.

He and Thelma lived in Janesville, Wis., for many years. They moved to Decorah in November of 1999 and Erland then became a resident of the Aase Haugen Home.

Survivors include his wife, Thelma; a son, Gary of Wisconsin Dells, Wis.;, one daughter, Karen and James Ehrie of Decorah; two granddaughters, Kjersti Ehrie of Kansas City, Mo., and Mari (Greg) Lewey of Waukon; two sisters, Beulah Hanson of Bremerton, Wash., and Clarice Braa of Longview, Wash.; one brother, George of Eau Claire, Wis.; one sister-in-law, Jean (Arthur) Barber of Richland, Wash.; and by numerous nieces and nephews.

Dr. Erland Otterholt was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Dr. Ernest Otterholt; and one sister, Ethel Karow.

A memorial service will be held at a later date in Janesville, Wis.

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