OBITUARY: Melvin Oscar Burtness, Worth County, Iowa #1 January 3, 1999 Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette obituaries Melvin Oscar Burtness NORTHWOOD -- Melvin Oscar Burtness, 96, died Friday (Jan. 1, 1999) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Elk Creek Lutheran Church, rural Kensett, with the Rev. Selmer G. "Sam" Hernes officiating. Burial will be the church cemetery. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday at Conner Colonial Chapel, 99 Eleventh St. S., Northwood. Visitation will resume one hour prior to services Tuesday at the church. Melvin Oscar Burtness was born on June 19, 1902, in Danville Township, Worth County, the son of Ole Pederson and Marie (Arneson) Burtness. He was baptized by Pastor Lars O. Pederson on June 18, 1916, at Elk Creek Lutheran Church and reaffirmed the faith of his baptism through confirmation in the Lutheran faith by Pastor Thor Sigmond on Nov. 11, 1918, also at Elk Creek Church. Melvin enrolled at Waldorf Lutheran College in Forest City and graduated on May 22, 1922. Melvin became a farmer in Danville and Brookfield townships and farmed for 52 years, until his retirement in 1975 when he sold his farm to Harold and Clarice Hagen and moved to San Bernardino, Calif., and became a staff member with Campus Crusade for Christ International, an evangelistic organization. Melvin wanted to go to Africa as an agricultural missionary, but for health reasons he stayed with Campus Crusade for six years, then retired to Northwood in 1981. He also was a salesman for Archer Oil Company in Omaha, Neb. He was a member of Elk Creek Lutheran Church and was active in its Sunday School and, for many years, served as church secretary. Melvin is survived by second-cousins in Canada, Norway and the United States and by a host of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Peter Arnold Burtness; and a sister, Ingeborg Amelia Burtness. #2 January 4, 1999 Mason City (Iowa) Globe Gazette obituaries Melvin O. Burtness Melvin Oscar Burtness, 96, died Friday (Jan. 1, 1999) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Elk Creek Lutheran Church, rural Kensett, with the Rev. Selmer G. "Sam" Hernes officiating. Burial will be the church cemetery. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Conner Colonial Chapel, 99 Eleventh St. S., Northwood. Visitation will resume one hour prior to services Tuesday at the church. Melvin Oscar Burtness was born on June 19, 1902, in Danville Township, Worth County, the son of Ole Pederson and Marie (Arneson) Burtness. He was baptized by Pastor Lars O. Pederson on June 18, 1916, at Elk Creek Lutheran Church and reaffirmed the faith of his baptism through confirmation in the Lutheran faith by Pastor Thor Sigmond on Nov. 11, 1918, also at Elk Creek Church. Melvin enrolled at Waldorf Lutheran College in Forest City and graduated on May 22, 1922. Melvin became a farmer in Danville and Brookfield townships and farmed for 52 years, until his retirement in 1975 when he sold his farm to Harold and Clarice Hagen and moved to San Bernardino, Calif., and became a staff member with Campus Crusade for Christ International, an evangelistic organization. Melvin wanted to go to Africa as an agricultural missionary, but for health reasons he stayed with Campus Crusade for six years, then retired to Northwood in 1981. He also was a salesman for Archer Oil Company in Omaha, Neb. He was a member of Elk Creek Lutheran Church and was active in its Sunday School and, for many years, served as church secretary. Melvin is survived by second-cousins in Canada, Norway and the United States and by a host of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Peter Arnold Burtness; and a sister, Ingeborg Amelia Burtness. Copyright (c) 2002 by Kermit Kittleson This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. (Note: Not necessarily related to the subject of this obituary.) **************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material,must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ****************************************************************************