Leah Mae (Ridgely) ORSLAND

ORSLAND, THOMA, HEISTAND, JOHNSON, RIDGELY, REAGER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/26/2009 at 15:23:01

August 26, 2009
Fort Dodge Messenger, Iowa

Leah Orsland, 81, of Fort Dodge, died Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at the Marian Home in Fort Dodge. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church with Rev. Edward Durand officiating. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Lake Creek Township Cemetery rural Rockwell City, Iowa. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Fort Dodge.

She is survived by her two daughters, Mary (Gerald) Thoma and Suzanne (Bruce) Heistand, all of Fort Dodge; four grandchildren, Eric (Peggy) Heistand of Boone, Iowa, Tim Thoma of Fort Dodge, Trevor (Dawn) Heistand of Fort Dodge, and Mark (Jennifer) Thoma of Joice, Iowa; six great-grandchildren; and a sister, Patrilla Johnson of Humboldt, Iowa. She is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Robert Orsland.

Leah Mae Ridgely, the daughter of Roger and Veva (Reager) Ridgely, was born June 30, 1928, in Rockwell City, Iowa. On December 20, 1946, Leah married Robert Orsland. Bob continued to serve in the U.S. Army while Leah finished high school, graduating from Goldfield High School in 1947. She worked at the Gates Department Store, U.S. Gypsum, Lilyans, Fort Dodge Messenger, KVFD, and in the mid 90's she retired from Colonial Heating. After her retirement Leah sold Avon. Her husband died on April 13, 1993. For the past five months, Grandma Leah has been a resident of the Marian Home in Fort Dodge. Grandma Leah served over 10 years as Foster Grandparent and especially enjoyed the children in the class room were she worked. She loved embroidering and was also a member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.