VaLane Marie (Pederson) MERSCH

MERSCH, ORBAUGH, SCHAULL, PEDERSON, LEE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/23/2008 at 11:39:58

December 22, 2008
Fort Dodge Messenger, Iowa

HUMBOLDT - VaLane M. Mersch, 87, of Humboldt, passed away Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008 at the Humboldt Care Center South. A mass of Christian burial will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church with the Rev. William Schreiber officiating. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Humboldt. Visitation with the family will be from 5 to 7 p.m. this evening at the Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt with a rosary service beginning at 5 p.m. and a scripture service at 6:30 p.m.

Mrs. Mersch is survived by her husband, Edward of Humboldt; son Michael (Linda) of Fort Meyers, Fla.; daughters, Nancy Orbaugh of Indianapolis, Ind. and Jeanie (Brad) Schaull of Overland Park, Kan.; 3 grandsons and 3 granddaughters; and 7 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents and brother Curtis Pederson.

VaLane Marie Pederson, the daughter of Harry and Olive (Lee) Pederson, was born April 21, 1921 at Jewell. She was raised in Hardy and graduated from Renwick High School where she was valedictorian of her class. After high school she attended Waldorf College in Forest City where she was active in choir and played piano in the orchestra. On Dec. 28, 1944 she was united in marriage to Edward Mersch at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Albert Lea, Minn. The couple later moved to the Eagle Grove area where she helped Ed farm as well as taking care of the home. In 1989 the Mersch family moved to Humboldt. VaLane was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church. She enjoyed singing and playing piano, she also enjoyed traveling and spending the winter in Arizona.