CHARLSON, Hazel M. 1917-2016

CHARLSON

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 12/24/2016 at 11:32:31

Hazel Maxine Charlson, 99, Northwood, died Monday, December 19, 2016, at the Breen Unit, Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood.
A funeral service for Hazel was held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, December 23, 2016, at the Conner Colonial Chapel, 1008 First Ave. South, Northwood, with Reverend Ed Bard officiating. Burial was held at 2:30 P.M. on Friday in the Clear Lake Cemetery.

Hazel Maxine (Wagner) Charlson was born on May 2, 1917, the daughter of Sten and Johanna (Thompson) Wagner in Scarville. The family attended Immanuel Lutheran Church where Hazel was baptized and reaffirmed the faith of her baptism through confirmation by the Reverend S.J. Fretheim.

Her first eight years of school were in the country, two miles from her home. In 1934, she graduated from Scarville High School. In 1937, she graduated from the North Iowa Teachers College in Cedar Falls and taught four years in country schools. She taught in Thompson and Lake Mills school systems.

On April 15, 1941, she married Floyd Ostrander, and they farmed by Thompson, Iowa, and to this marriage they had three children, JoAnn, Jim and Don, and were members of Bethany Lutheran Church in Thompson. Hazel taught Sunday school, Bible School, and was part-time Sunday school superintendent. She and Floyd were also 4-H leaders.
In September 1971, they moved to Clear Lake where they were the first employees of Opportunity Village. They had 16 residents the first day. The walkways were wet, and Floyd was kept busy with a small tractor making walkways with boards. He also planted hundreds of trees by hand. Hazel was kept busy cooking and caring for the residents. They were members of Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake.

Floyd died in 1976, and she later married Lester Charlson of Thompson.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children, JoAnn Lower of Northwood, and Don (Sue) Ostrander of Custer, SD; a daughter-in-law, Lillian Ostrander of Hawthorn, N.J.; her sister, Marlys Whisler of Northwood; her grandchildren, Timothy (Almira) Lower of Iowa City, Laurie Lower and her husband Jim McClure of Boston, MA, Eric (Tanya) Ostrander of Hawthorn, NJ, Lisette Ostrander of San Francisco, CA, Jeremy (Andrea) Ostrander of Lake Mills, Sarah Heath of Lake Mills, and Nathan (Chelsie) Ostrander of Lake Mills; eight great-grandchildren; as well as several nieces, nephews, and other extended family members and friends.

Hazel was preceded in death by her parents, Sten and Johanna Wagner; two husbands, Floyd Ostrander and Lester Charlson; her son, Reverend Jim Ostrander; and three brothers, and a sister, Elmer, Leslie, Archie, and Inez.