A “Celebration of Life” funeral service for Luella Vermedal will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. The Rev. Linda Gunderson will officiate. Interment will be in the Salem Memorial Cemetery, Lake Mills, Iowa. Visitation with Luella’s family will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23,

at the Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home.

Luella Sylvia (Hanson) Vermedal was born Feb. 2, 1918, in Eagle Grove, Iowa, the daughter of Hilmar and Julia (Lilleskau) Hanson. She was united in marriage to Norman Vermedal on April 17, 1936, at the Silver Lake Parsonage. They lived and farmed in the Lake Mills area where Luella worked at Nerby’s Drug Store and the Coast-to-Coast store. In 1957 they moved north of Albert Lea and farmed there until 1972 when they moved into Albert Lea. Luella worked in Albert Lea in sales at Gordon Electric, Singer’s, Spurgeon’s, and Penney’s. She was also manager of the Gold Bond Redemption Center located at Floorcrafters. She served in different officer’s positions in the Singles and Solos Club, Central Freeborn WELCA, Altar Guild, Sunday School, Sons of Norway, Eagle’s Club and sang in the church choir. Luella was a person who enjoyed people, and with her cheery personality was always willing to help and listen to anyone who wanted to share.

Luella passed away Friday, Jan. 16, 2004, at the Albert Lea Good Samaritan Center.

She is survived by her children: Donna Puyear of Albert Lea, Searle and his wife Angela of Seattle Wash., and Sharon and her husband Orville Johnson of rural Albert Lea; grandchildren: Tony and his wife Leontine Durby of St. Eustatious Islands, Cindy and her husband Craig Haugsdal of Emmons, Tricia and her husband Jerry Dahl of Albert Lea, Alan and his wife Linda Johnson of Lake Mills, Aaron Haan of Albert Lea, Dan and his wife Kim Vermedal of Chandler Ariz., and Meloney and her husband Ray Nunez of Wadell, Ariz.; 11 great-grandchildren; sisters: Florence Johnston of Forest City, Iowa, and Delores Anderson of Ames, Iowa; brother, Roger and his wife Joyclyn Hanson of Kiester; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; daughter-in-law, Jan Vermedal; sister, Hazel Hanson; brothers-in-law: Donald Anderson and Bob Johnston; and two great-granddaughters: Dana Haugsdal and Haley Dahl.

Her life is our legacy, her love was her gift, and our memories of her are the comfort we’ll keep in our hearts forever.