Naley, Cora Jeanette (Mikelson) 1917 - 2014

NALEY, MIKELSON, GULLIKSON, OTT, FORDE, GUTTEBO, BARAN, AMUDSON, HOLLAND, WILLEMSEN, HISHON

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/8/2014 at 09:21:31

Jeanette Naley, age 97, of Decorah, Iowa, died Monday, August 4, 2014 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN.

Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, August 10, 2014 at Decorah Lutheran Church with Rev. David Sorensen and Rev. Bryan Robertson officiating. Private Family Inurnment will be in Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, one hour before the service, at Decorah Lutheran Church.

Cora Jeanette Mikelson Naley was born March 21, 1917 to Knut and Anna (Gullikson) Mikelson in Pleasant Township rural Decorah, Iowa, and spent her entire life in the Decorah area. She was the third daughter born to Knut and Anna and always enjoyed the comfort of being the baby in the family. She was baptized at home by Rev. Peterson, who was pastor for a short time at Big Canoe Lutheran Church. Jeanette was a member of Big Canoe and was confirmed there on June 15, 1931 by Rev. T. O. Tolo. She received her early education in the rural schools of Winneshiek County. Jeanette attended Pleasant # 2 rural school for all eight grades. She stayed home a year and then started High School in Decorah. She graduated from Decorah High School in the class of 1935 in Normal Training. She attended summer school at Iowa State Teachers College (U.N.I.) and also took classes at Luther College.

She started teaching the fall of 1935 in Pleasant # 1 and then taught at Locust school, Pleasant # 3. She taught at Red Oak School in Springfield Township and also at the Bakke School in Springfield Township. She then went to Kjome School in Highland Township, Springwater School, and North Winneshiek Community School District.

Jeanette was married to Merlin O. Naley on December 22, 1948 at Big Canoe by Pastor William T. Hexom during Christmas vacation while she taught at Bakke School. Jeanette and Merlin were parents to three children, Vernon, Duane and Muriel.

Her main interests in life were her family and her church. She taught for 26 years in the country schools of Winneshiek County. Later she worked for 29 years at the Luther College Book Shop. She loved her work there and made several life-time friends. She enjoyed 23 years of retirement, living only the last three and a half years at Aase Haugen Home.

In the fall of 1991 she went on a trip to Norway with her son Vernon and niece Linda (Forde) Ott. She visited Oslo and took the train to Voss and Bergen area and met with relatives at the Farm where her grandfather lived as a young man before immigrating to America. She also enjoyed visiting sites in Cologne, Germany, Amsterdam, Holland, and London, England on the trip.

Jeanette loved to bake cookies, buns and sweet rolls. She often shared them with her family and close neighbors. For family dinners her favorite was meat balls, gravy and mashed potatoes and lemon pie.

In the early 1960’s she became a member of Decorah Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday School, was a member of the Church Council and was active in church circles. She had been a member of Luther College Woman’s Club and President of WELCA. Her life centered on prayer. Everyday praying and thanking God for her family, friends and America as well as God’s help and protection.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Merlin on September 29, 1965, her son Duane on February 3, 1990, sisters Myrtle (Lewis) Forde and Nora (Levi) Guttebo, sisters-in law Jan (Kenneth) Baran and Ellen Naley, brothers-in-law Lester Amundson, Elwood Naley, and Leland (Edith) Naley, and nephews William Naley and Kenneth Forde.

Jeanette is survived by her son, Vernon of Decorah, her daughter, Muriel (Orville) Holland of Minneapolis, two granddaughters, Joanna Holland (special friend, Ryan Willemsen) of Minneapolis and Kelsey (Daniel) Hishon of Hamilton, New Zealand, two sisters-in-law, Marcella Amundson and Charlotte Naley of Decorah, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be given to Decorah Lutheran Church, 309 Winnebago St., Decorah, IA 52101, Aase Haugen Home, 4 Ohio St., Decorah, IA 52101, Big Canoe Lutheran Church, 1381 Big Canoe Road, Decorah, IA 52101 or Lutheran Cemetery, % Decorah Memorial Co., 213 Washington St., Decorah, IA 52101.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

Decorah Lutheran Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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