A funeral service for Eva Olive Thorson will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Alden. The Rev. Greg Ofsdahl will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at Alden Cemetery. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home of Wells is handling the arrangements. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.brussheitner.com.

Eva Olive Naumann Thorson was born Aug. 7, 1916, to Albert and Sarah (Anderson) Naumann.  She grew up in the Elmore area and graduated from Elmore High School. On Nov. 28, 1935, she married Lester Thorson. In 1942 they moved to their farm near Alden. She worked alongside her husband — learning to drive tractor, milk cows and tending a large garden. She enjoyed her private time riding the lawn mower; there she did a lot of thinking and praying. She made her family all laugh when she said, “I’ve been thinking,” and then there was always something new to get done. She was a faithful and active member of Redeemer Lutheran Church. She always made sure her family attended church on Sundays with ironed clothes and polished shoes. She loved the Lord and was a courageous prayer warrior for her family.

Eva is survived by four children, Myrna (Louis) Mitchell, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Sharon (Douglas) Thompson, of Summerfield, Florida, Richard (Deborah) Thorson, of Alden and Barbara Bakken of Alden; thirteen grandchildren, Brent (Kim) Sitzer, Dawn (David) Faulkner, Kim (Sean) Hansen/MacDonald, Durk (Elizabeth) Thompson, Tracy Thompson, Heather (Nick) DiGregorio, Troy (Christine Holt) Thorson, Tiffany (Mitch) Swanson, Shane Thorson, Derek (Nicole) Thorson, Nicole (Derek) Brown, Kirk Petersen and Mindy (Dave) Eilertson; 32 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lester, in 1994; 10 siblings, Roy, Ira, Earl, Marvin, Howard, Orville, Vernon, Vera, Elvira and Evelyn; and son-in-law Keith Bakken.

Eva prayed for everyone by name, but in later years she said she prayed by families so she wouldn’t forget anyone. Visits from her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were a joy to her failing eyes. She would ask, “Why am I still here?  Why am I given one more day?”

Eva passed from this life peacefully into the arms of Jesus on Thursday, May 26, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea. She was 99.