Sylverne Burtness, 98, of Northwood, Iowa, died Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at Thorne Crest Retirement Center in Albert Lea.
A funeral service for Sylverne will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Shell Rock Lutheran Church, 1406 Central Ave. in Northwood, with Rev. Karl Hermanson officiating. Burial will be in the Stateline Cemetery, rural Northwood. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Conner Colonial Chapel, 1008 First Ave. S., Northwood, is in charge of the arrangements.
Sylverne Burtness was born on Feb. 16, 1910, in Monterey, now called Trimont, the daughter of Matt and Mattie (Wilson) Johnson. She was baptized in infancy and reaffirmed the faith of her baptism through confirmation at Grace Lutheran Church in Hanlontown, Iowa. She moved several times with her parents, when they settled near Hanlontown, where she attended rural country grade school, and graduated from Hanlontown High School. She was united in marriage to Olger Burtness on Oct. 25, 1926, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. He preceded her in death. After their marriage together they farmed most of their lives in the rural Gordonsville area. During her early years she worked several years in the drug store and grocery store in Hanlontown. Sylverne worked for 20 years as a nurse’s aide, 4 1/2 years in Albert Lea and 15 1/2 years at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood. Sylverne loved this work and would often be found at a home where care was needed. After her husband died (she cared for him for 2 1/2 years when he was bedridden), she sold her home in Gordonsville and moved to Northwood to be closer to her church and other conveniences.
She enjoyed handwork, reading, writing letters, crossword puzzles, and cooking. She loved her small garden and flowers, but most of all she loved her family and friends around her.
She was a member of the First Shell Rock Lutheran Church and the ladies’ aid in Northwood.
Left to cherish her memory include two daughters: Beverly Larsen of Whiting, N.J., and Marilyn Becker of Northwood; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; six great-great grandchildren; many other extended family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, infant son, infant granddaughter, two sisters, two brothers and two sons-in-law.