Mavis Mardell Roppe, 72, of Northwood, Iowa, died Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, at the St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester.
A funeral service for Mavis was held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, at the First Lutheran Church, 309 North 9th Street, Northwood, with the Rev. Daniel R. Hart officiating. Burial will be in the South Shell Rock Cemetery, Northwood. Visitation was held from 3 until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009, at the Conner Colonial Chapel, 1008 First Ave. South, Northwood. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to service time on Monday at the church. 
Mavis Mardell Roppe, was born on July 12, 1936, in Hartland Township, rural Northwood, the daughter of Arthur and Bertha (Hanson) Hillman. She attended and received her education at the Northwood Community School. She was united in marriage to Dewayne Roppe on March 14, 1952, at the Lutheran Parsonage in Northwood. Mavis worked for 22 years at the Trading Post in Gordonsville. 
Mavis enjoyed playing Norwegian Wist, as well as other card games, cooking and entertaining family and friends. Family was very important to Mavis, as well as daily phone calls to her sister Dorothy Estes.
Mavis was instrumental in starting the lutefisk dinners at the First Lutheran Church in Northwood, and she was known as the Lutefisk Queen. 
Mavis was a very active member at the First Lutheran Church, and the Julia Circle at the church. Mavis was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Glenville.
Those that are left to cherish her memory is her husband, Dewayne Roppe of Northwood; her children: Julie (Dennis) Gore of Albert Lea, Debby (Claire) Wahl of Northwood, Bonnie (Charles) Hengesteg of Northwood, Mary Willand and special friend Michael Davey of Northwood, and Amy (Daryl) Hennigar of Northwood; twelve grandchildren: Rusty (Jennifer) Wahl, Ryan (Jennifer) Wahl, Robby Wahl, Holly Rothove-Low, Todd Rothove, Samuel Hengesteg, Benjamin Hengesteg, Paul Ubben, Diane Ubben, Jayne Ubben, Mark Willand, and Matthew (Jennifer) Willand; thirteen great-grandchildren; three sisters; Dorothy (Wayne) Estes of Northwood, Bernice (Roy) Stevens of Albert Lea, and Junice (Merle) Skogen of Albert Lea; sister-in-law, Pat Low of Northwood, and brothers-in-law; Jerry (Diane) Roppe of Aurora, Oregon, and Scott (Carol) Roppe of Omaha, Neb., as well as many other extended family members and friends.
Mavis was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Bertha (Hanson) Hillman; brothers and sisters: Arlington Hillman, Harris Hillman, Dale Hillman, Inez (Hillman) Henrichs, Deloris (Hillman) Appel, Ruth (Hillman) Stevens, and Ruby Hillman and a son-in-law, Bruce Hengesteg.