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Kittelson, Ethel Ovidia (Sanden) 1916-2010

KITTELSON, SANDEN, YOUNG, FRETHEIM, DANIELSON, TROGE, HUGHES, TRESIDDER, BUGH, KAPELL, BALBOA, BARTH, JOHNSON

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 9/14/2012 at 17:31:03

Ethel O. Kittelson, age 94, of Decorah, IA, died Friday morning, August 20, 2010 at her home in Decorah.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, August 26, 2010 at Decorah Lutheran Church in Decorah with Rev. Wayne Hagen, Rev. Bryan Robertson and Rev. Randal Kittelson officiating. Burial will be in Hesper Lutheran Cemetery in Hesper, IA.

Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 P.M. Wednesday, August 25 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah and on Thursday one hour before the service at the church.

Ethel Ovidia Kittelson was born May 22, 1916 in Hartland, MN, the only daughter of Olaf and Eda (Young) Sanden. She attended rural schools in Hesper Township, Winneshiek County, IA.

Ethel was united in marriage to Gavin Palmer Lester Kittelson on March 15, 1935 in New Hampton, IA. This union was blessed with four children: Harley, Shirley, Carleton, and Gretchen.

In 1947, Ethel started working to support her family and she had owned and operated the East End Café and Phillips 66 Café in Decorah and Ethel’s Place in Ossian, retiring January 30, 1988. Over the years she also worked at Holt Dairy, Springer Hotel, OK Café, Decorah Greenhouse, Cliff House and the Branding Iron Restaurant in Preston, MN. She was known to have the best Prime Rib and Steaks in Northeast Iowa, cooked without recipes, had an amazing salad bar, and she prided herself in good customer satisfaction and their support, which was most important. She was a very hard worker, strong and determined. At Phillips 66, by feeding one homeless person, she was known on the railroad track to feed many more. She started out to support her family and finished for the love of her family. She also liked to decorate for the holidays, and the Christmas season was her favorite. Ethel loved to sing, had a beautiful voice, was a natural born harmonizer and could even yodel, but didn’t like to show it off. She loved her flowers and landscaping; people would always know it was Ethel’s place because of the beautiful flowers. She was also a great seamstress. When her children were younger, she made all the daughter’s clothes and the boy’s shirts, and even sewed for other people, while holding down a full time job. She could sew anything, from rugs, to quilts, to wedding dresses, etc. Ethel also liked ceramics, dancing and pets. One of her finest and proudest moments occurred in the 1980’s. The National Geographic TV Show toured around following the little circuses from town to town. They were in Ossian and stopped at Ethel’s restaurant to eat and they thought the food was excellent. They filmed in her dining room there and really enjoyed themselves.

She was preceded in death by her father Olaf Sanden on February 18, 1963; her mother Eda (Young) Sanden on July 14, 1980; her husband, Gavin on June 12, 1960; two infant grandchildren, Lisa Fretheim in 1966 and Kyle Andrew Kittelson in 1973; three brothers-in-law, Floyd and Clifton Kittelson and Norine Danielson; and by two sisters-in-law, Evelyn and Joyce Kittelson.

Ethel is survived by her four children: Harley (Patricia) Kittelson, Moline, IL, Shirley (Dean) Fretheim, Owatonna, MN, Carleton (Sandra) Kittelson and Gretchen Troge (special friend, Darrell Bruening), Decorah, IA; 13 grandchildren: Gavin Kittelson and Kirk Kittelson, Geneseo, IL, Kyle David Kittelson in U.S. Army (Texas), Jennifer (Matthew) Hughes, Bettendorf, IA, Debra Tresidder, Lakeville, MN, Cheryl Fretheim, Owatonna, MN, Dr. Rhonda (Rob) Bugh, Wheaton, IL, Rev. Randal (Suzanne) Kittelson, Denver, CO, Rochelle (Robert) Kapell, Blue Grass, IA, Roxanne (William) Balboa, Newnan, GA, Ryan (Johanna) Kittelson, Decorah, IA, Troy Troge (special friend Susan McDonald), Ossian, IA and Tracy (Dean) Barth, Decorah, IA; 26 great- grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; one brother-in-law, Odell (Margaret) Kittelson of Newark, IL; two sisters-in-law, Evelyn Danielson of Swea City, IA and Melba (Oliver) Johnson of Cokato, MN; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

Hesper Lutheran Cemetery.
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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