Lois Mortensen
March 27, 1921 — February 5, 2015
Lois June Mortensen, daughter of Roscoe A. and Lillian K. (Matthiessen) Buck was born on March 27, 1921 in Douglas Township in Harrison County. Lois was one of eleven children and graduated from the Shelby Consolidated School where she played basketball.
After graduation, Lois worked for the United States Postal Service first in Shelby, Iowa and then Kansas City, Missouri. Later, she moved to Pensacola, Florida where she and Robert A. Mortensen were married on July 5, 1944 while he was serving as a pilot and advanced instructor in the Naval Air Corps during World War II. To this union, two children were born: Patricia and Robert.
After Robert's honorable discharge, they returned to Harlan, Iowa where Bob worked for a few years preparing for the opportunity to begin farming. They lived in and around Shelby, Iowa for 12 years. Then Lois and Bob moved to Irwin, Iowa where Bob purchased Irwin Farm Supply. They continued to live in Irwin until 1984 when they retired and moved to a condominium on the Harlan Golf and Country Club course where they could enjoy friends and golf. Lois had fond memories of golfing, and many people remember golfing with Lois when they were just beginning.
Lois was a volunteer at Myrtue Memorial Hospital and the blood bank. She also enjoyed quilting, and spending many hours attending functions at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Harlan where she was a member. She loved the comradery of the garage sales, suppers, the days she helped serve supper to Ragbrai riders, and mostly, making noodles every year at her church.
Lois Mortensen passed away on February 5, 2015 at Elm Crest Retirement Community, Harlan, Iowa, having attained the age of ninety-three years, ten months, one week, and two days. In addition to her parents, Lois was preceded in death by her husband Bob, two brothers, Roscoe and her twin brother Lowell, and two sisters, Veta Bock and Mildred Whannell. She is survived by her children: Patricia Hildebrand and Robert C. Mortensen and his wife Lana; her grandchildren: Lara Hildebrand of Des Moines, Amber Harre of Woodbury, Minnesota, Chad Mortensen of Centennial, Colorado, Anne Hildebrand of Des Moines, Carly Schaefer of Polk City, and Valeriya Andronova of Des Moines; her great grandchildren: Blake and Jackson Harre, Carissa Mortensen, and Grady and Kirby Schaefer; her sisters Bessie Langer of Council Bluffs, Alta Hamilton of San Antonio, Texas, Vera (spouse, Wayne: Raasch) of Harlan, Edna Barton of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Retha Buck of New York, New York; brother: Robert (spouse, Aletha) Buck of Shelby; sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews; other relatives, and many friends who will all miss her beautiful smile.
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After graduation, Lois worked for the United States Postal Service first in Shelby, Iowa and then Kansas City, Missouri. Later, she moved to Pensacola, Florida where she and Robert A. Mortensen were married on July 5, 1944 while he was serving as a pilot and advanced instructor in the Naval Air Corps during World War II. To this union, two children were born: Patricia and Robert.
After Robert's honorable discharge, they returned to Harlan, Iowa where Bob worked for a few years preparing for the opportunity to begin farming. They lived in and around Shelby, Iowa for 12 years. Then Lois and Bob moved to Irwin, Iowa where Bob purchased Irwin Farm Supply. They continued to live in Irwin until 1984 when they retired and moved to a condominium on the Harlan Golf and Country Club course where they could enjoy friends and golf. Lois had fond memories of golfing, and many people remember golfing with Lois when they were just beginning.
Lois was a volunteer at Myrtue Memorial Hospital and the blood bank. She also enjoyed quilting, and spending many hours attending functions at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Harlan where she was a member. She loved the comradery of the garage sales, suppers, the days she helped serve supper to Ragbrai riders, and mostly, making noodles every year at her church.
Lois Mortensen passed away on February 5, 2015 at Elm Crest Retirement Community, Harlan, Iowa, having attained the age of ninety-three years, ten months, one week, and two days. In addition to her parents, Lois was preceded in death by her husband Bob, two brothers, Roscoe and her twin brother Lowell, and two sisters, Veta Bock and Mildred Whannell. She is survived by her children: Patricia Hildebrand and Robert C. Mortensen and his wife Lana; her grandchildren: Lara Hildebrand of Des Moines, Amber Harre of Woodbury, Minnesota, Chad Mortensen of Centennial, Colorado, Anne Hildebrand of Des Moines, Carly Schaefer of Polk City, and Valeriya Andronova of Des Moines; her great grandchildren: Blake and Jackson Harre, Carissa Mortensen, and Grady and Kirby Schaefer; her sisters Bessie Langer of Council Bluffs, Alta Hamilton of San Antonio, Texas, Vera (spouse, Wayne: Raasch) of Harlan, Edna Barton of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Retha Buck of New York, New York; brother: Robert (spouse, Aletha) Buck of Shelby; sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews; other relatives, and many friends who will all miss her beautiful smile.
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