Rev. Ansle Theodore SEVERTSON

SEVERTSON, BERG, ODEGAARD, CHRISTENSEN, SCHAFER, ROBBOY, ROLFS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/3/2006 at 11:48:37

The Rev. Ansle Theodore Severtson, 89, died Sunday, March 26, 2006. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 8th, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Lincoln Ave. and Ohio St., North Park. Rev. Severtson had served as pastor of Our Savior's from 1950 to 1969. He was born August 12, 1916 in Minneapolis, Minn., to T.J. and Anna Severtson, and raised in Eagle Grove, Iowa. His father, two brothers and brother-in-law were also Lutheran ministers. After graduation from St. Olaf College and Luther Seminary in Minnesota, Ansle served his first parish in Santa Monica, Calif. While there, he met Hazel Berg, a pastor's daughter, who became his wife in 1943. Together they served congregations in Oakland, San Diego, and Granada Hills, Calif., while raising a family of five children. From 1947-1950, Severtson was Asst. Professor of Religion at St. Olaf College. During those years he also served as Interim Pastor and Preaching Assistant at St. John's Lutheran Church in Northfield, Minn. In 1950, the family moved to San Diego. During these postwar years, Rev. Severtson served on the Board of Home Missions (later the Board of American Missions), which was instrumental in establishing many new congregations throughout the quickly growing western United States. He was President of the San Diego County Council of Churches from 1964 to 1966. He served as pastor at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in Granada Hills, Calif., from 1969 until he retired in 1982, but continued as interim and visitation pastor at several other California congregations in the years following. His book-length biography of Bishop Gaylerd Falde was published by California Lutheran University in 1993. He was an active member of the Van Nuys-Airport Optimist International Club. Ansle and Hazel Severtson returned to live fully retired in San Diego in 1994. Ansle loved reading, gardening and listening to music, especially when performed by his family. Rev. Severtson touched thousands of lives with his unwavering witness to the gospel and with his gentle and compassionate demeanor.

He is survived by his wife, Hazel; sister Genevieve Odegaard of Northfield, Minn.; brother Murley Severtson and his wife Jeannette of Clear Lake, Iowa; daughter Joan and her husband Jerrel Christensen of Minneapolis, Minn.; son James and his wife Marianne of Reseda, Calif.; son Paul and his wife Susan Schafer of Santa Margarita, Calif.; daughter Susan and her husband Ronald Robboy of San Diego; son David and his wife Jacqueline Rolfs of St. Anthony, Minn.; fourteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Memorial gifts may be made to Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 4011 Ohio St., San Diego, CA 92104.

San Diego Union-Tribune 4/2/2006