Torgerson, Henrietta Pauline 1916-2010
TORGERSON, OLSON, SAUNDERS, TIMMONS
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 12/11/2012 at 16:30:18
Henrietta P. Torgerson, age 93, of Decorah, IA, died Saturday, June 5, 2010 at Aase Haugen Home in Decorah.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Thursday, June 10, 2010 at Decorah Lutheran Church with Rev. Wayne Hagen officiating. Burial will be in Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah.
Visitation is on Thursday after 1:00 P.M., one hour before the service, at the church. Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah is serving the family.
Henrietta Pauline Torgerson was born on October 25, 1916 in Oklee, Minnesota, the third child of J.A.C. and “Della” (Olson) Torgerson. The family had moved from Albert Lea, Minnesota, where her older sister, Katherine, and brother, Karl had been born, when her father went into banking with his brother Will. Her father and uncle worked together there until the Depression, when the bank closed. After selling mineral feeds and doing various other jobs her father became the county Register of Deeds, and they moved to Red Lake Falls, Minnesota in 1932. Henrietta entered 9th grade there and graduated from Red Lake Falls High School in 1935. Henrietta attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota for one year, and transferred to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where she majored in music and English education, and graduated in 1939 as one of the first women to attend Luther. Henrietta taught “everything under the sun” at the high school in Toronto, South Dakota for two years. After taking a brush up course in business office procedure at the Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis, Henrietta began work for General Mills Corporation in 1941. In 1952 Henrietta and her mother moved to Des Moines, Iowa where she worked for her brother at Best Fit Hosiery Mills. Later she worked for Meredith Publishing Company.
They moved to Decorah in 1962 when Henrietta became the Recorder at Luther College. She was the Associate Registrar when she retired in 1981. After her retirement the college named her Associate Registrar Emerita. When Henrietta’s sister Katherine retired from teaching high school English in Brainerd, Minnesota, she moved to Decorah to be with her mother and sister. Katherine, who was a church organist in Brainerd, and Henrietta began playing the carillon at Luther College. Henrietta, who was also an accomplished pianist, continued that tradition by herself when Katherine died in 1985. With Henrietta at the console, the carillon’s bells covered the campus with hymns during the half hour preceding Messiah concerts, commencement, homecoming worship, and other important college functions for many, many years. Knitting, crocheting, and cross stitching were Henrietta’s significant hobbies, and creating Norwegian sweaters, wall hangings, table clothes, or baby things came naturally to her. She liked traveling with her sister. Henrietta was involved with Vesterheim and the Decorah Travel Club. She appreciated all the concerts, performances, and programs at Luther College. Henrietta enjoyed music - MPR was always on her radio dial - and liked watching baseball and golf on TV. On Wednesday mornings she looked forward to coffee time at the Student Union with other retired Luther College faculty. While she lived at Vennehjem, she enjoyed the activities and camaraderie with other residents. Henrietta was a member of Decorah Lutheran Church. During these last few weeks, Henrietta especially appreciated her association with Decorah’s Hospice personnel.
Henrietta passed away gently at Aase Haugen Home in Decorah on Saturday, June 5, 2010. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, brother, and sister-in-law.
She is survived by her niece, Karolyn Torgerson of Hibbing, Minnesota; three nephews, Karl Torgerson of Fairfax, Virginia, Paul (Rebecca) Torgerson of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, and Erik Torgerson (Loretta Saunders) of Mauston, Wisconsin; two great nieces, Sara Torgerson (Mitch Timmons) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Rachel Torgerson of Lake Elmo, Minnesota; and a great nephew, Jacob (Bergen) Torgerson of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database
Decorah Lutheran Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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