Ethel Greenwald

Ethel Lennea (Nelson) Greenwald, 94, a resident of Fergus Falls, and formerly of Dalton, died Tuesday, February 17, 2009, at Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls. She was born on the family farm in Davidson Township of Aitkin County on April 28, 1914, where her parents, John and Emma (Johnson) Nelson homesteaded as immigrants from Sweden in 1904 and 1906.  She grew up on the farm, attending country school at District #105, and graduated from Aitkin High School in 1932. For many years she organized an annual high school reunion for the class of 1932. On October 12, 1934, she married Allen Louis Greenwald at the family farm. They spent their first winter in a cabin on Portage Lake. The next spring they moved to a farm near Ogilvie. In 1948 the family moved to a farm near Barrett in Grant County. In April of 1956 the family purchased a farm in Otter Tail County near Dalton, where she lived until she moved to the Sheridan House in Fergus Falls. Ethel worked for 25 years at the Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center. She was a charter member of the first organization of Grant County Homemakers group, named Pep and Progress Homemakers Club. She was also a 4H Leader in Grant County for several years. Ethel and her family were members of the Sarpsborg Church and later transferred to the Dalton Free Church in Dalton. She enjoyed her church, WMF, and Circle groups as well as the Retired State Employees at the VFW in Fergus Falls. She was a member of the Dalton Sr. Citizens where they met twice a month for meetings, card playing, coffee and lunch. She also organized the Tumuli Tics, who met once a month for lunch. Ethel enjoyed embroidery, wild flowers, gardening and keeping in touch with friends and family with her talent of letter writing - her letters were enjoyed by all. She loved her country home and enjoyed many walks through the woods checking on wild flowers, picking berries and mushrooms, and just listening to the birds. Preceding her in death were her parents, Emma and John Nelson; her husband, Allen in 1989; two daughters, Barbara in 1940, and Kay in 1942; one sister, Ruth Little; three brothers, Alf, Leslie and Joseph Nelson; and a special friend, Vonnie Veitenheimer. Survivors include three daughters: Jane Francen of Denver, CO, JoAnn (Wayne) Biss of Wendell, and Kati (Mark) Pederson of Underwood; grandchildren: Chad (DiAnne) Biss, Jason (Sylvia) Biss, Kirsten Francen and Sonia Blair, Trevor (Callie) Pederson, Kelly (Dennis) Bosek, and Trent Pederson( fiance` Tami Wilts); nine great grandchildren; a sister, Mildred Ayres, as well as several nieces and nephews. She is also survived by special friends Arlene Tysver, Ruth Delanger, Alice Halvorson, Clara Jans and Sue Hanstead. Visitation:  5-7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home with a 6:30 p.m. prayer service, and resumes one hour  prior to the service at the church Service:  10 a.m. Monday at the Light & Life Auditorium of the Broen Memorial Home in Fergus  Falls Clergy:   Pastors Steve Carlson and Mark Johnson, and Chaplain Ken Austin Interment will be on May 16, 2009 at Oakwood Cemetery in Mora, Minnesota Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls Condolences may be sent online at www.olsonfuneralhome.com