Hovden, Margurete Marie (Depping) Sersland Barth 1924 - 2016

HOVDEN, DEPPING, STUCKMAN, SERSLAND, BARTH, WILLMANN, DECKER, OLSON, NELSON

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/5/2016 at 12:39:54

Ma
Margurete M. Hovden, age 91, of Decorah, IA, died Sunday, July 31, 2016 at Barthell O.E.S. Home in Decorah.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday August 4, 2016 at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, with Rev. Dr. Jennifer Edinger officiating. Burial will be in church cemetery.

Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, one hour before the service, at the church.

Margurete Marie Hovden was born October 30, 1924, in rural Allamakee County to Albert and Elna (Stuckman) Depping. The family moved to Frankville in 1932 where Margurete attended school through her second year of high school. She went on to complete her high school education in Decorah, graduating in 1942 as the valedictorian of her class. She obtained her teacher’s certification while she was still 17. She taught at Hyde School in the years 1942-1943 and 1946-1948 and at Moneek School in 1943-1944.

Margurete was married to Donald Sersland on June 30, 1944. They lived in Waukon where they ran a restaurant for one year and also lived in Dubuque for a time. They later lived on the Daniels farm for two years. They had two children, Joan and John. On January 13, 1954, Donald was killed in a farm accident as the family was preparing to move to the Sersland home farm.

In 1956 Margurete and the children moved to South Pasadena, California. They returned a year later; Margurete married Leonard Barth in November 1957. After farming for nine years, the family moved to Decorah in 1966. Leonard died in March 1971. During this time, Margurete worked for the Winneshiek Co-op Sale Barn for fifteen years and then in the Luther College Alumni and Development Office from 1966 to 1972.

She married Verne Hovden on June 29, 1972. Together they lived on a farm north of Ridgeway, with Verne’s children Leslie and Cathy. They moved into an apartment in Decorah from 1997 to October 2004, when they moved into the assisted living portion of the Barthell O.E.S Home in Decorah. Verne died in March 2006.

Margurete was a member of Washington Prairie Lutheran Church. She loved her family, gardening, doing handiwork, and helping others.

She is survived by her daughter, Joan (the Rev. John) Willmann of Richmond, TX; her son, the Rev. John (Mary) Sersland of Fort Dodge, IA; her step-son, Leslie (Audrey) Hovden of Decorah; her step-daughter, Cathy (Scott) Decker of Kasson, MN; by nine grandchildren; and by eight great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband’s Donald Sersland, Leonard Barth, and Verne Hovden; her parents; and her two sisters, Hilda Olson and Verona Nelson.

Memorials may be left to the Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301 or the Barthell O.E.S Home, 911 Ridgewood Drive, Decorah, IA 52101.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

Washington Prairie Lutheran Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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