Alvina Guanella, 86, Alden

Published 11:06 am Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Funeral services for Alvina Guanella, 86, of Alden, will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Alden. The Rev. Greg Ofsdahl will officiate. Interment will be at the Alden Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Alvina Guanella

Alvina died Monday, Jan. 20, 2014, at her home.

Alvina Gwen Guanella was born on June 29, 1927, to Edward and Hattie (Davis) Owens in Lake Crystal. She had two brothers, Floyd and Ralph, and three sisters, Ethel Weitzel, Alice Tatum and Dolly Dowd. Alvina attended school in Lake Crystal, graduating in 1946. Her early days were spent helping on the farm and hunting and trapping with her father. She loved to hunt and work with the hunting dogs she had through the years. Alvina was very athletically and artistically inclined. Following high school Alvina attended Mankato Teacher’s College and Lea College. In 1948 Alvina was united in marriage to Elwood Guanella in Lake Crystal. She taught elementary school and did administration duties in the Alden-Conger school system for 25 years. She started in the Conger School in 1963. Alvina taught a wide variety of grades and was best known for high expectations tempered with a great sense of humor. Her students all have stories about the jokes and clever things she did to keep things interesting. Everyone who was in school knew about her ability to whistle very loudly, and you had better respond quickly when she whistled.

Survivors include her sons Terry (Susan) Guanella of Amery, Wis., and G. Joe (Kim) Guanella of Alden; grandsons Michael (Darcy) of Austin, Jay (Carolyn) of Rosemount and Sam (Lindsey) of Eden Prairie; great-grandchildren Eleanor, Natalie, Henry, Quentin, Alex, Madeline and Gabriel; and special friends Helen and Gerry Steene.

Alvina was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Elwood; and her brothers and sisters.