OBITUARY: Otto O. Ostby 1914-2002, Worth County, Iowa



                               Otto O. Ostby

[The Northwood Anchor online; posted October 8, 2002]

Otto O. Ostby, 87, of Kensett, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2002 at the Lutheran
Retirement Home in Northwood.

Funeral service was Thursday, Oct. 3, at Bethany Lutheran Church in
Kensett, with Rev. Selmer G. "Sam" Hernes officiating.  Interment was at
the Kensett Cemetery, where military honors were conducted by Our Buddies
VFW Post #6779 of Northwood.  

Otto O. Ostby, son of the late Paul I.D. and Emma (Gavle) Ostby was born
Oct. 12, 1914, in rural Emmons, MN.  He was baptized by his grandfather
Rev. P.G. Ostby.  Otto received his education in rural Freeborn County
schools.  He moved with his parents to a farm in rural Kensett in 1931.

Otto married Genevieve Berge on July 16, 1939.  He entered the Army in April
of 1944 and was assigned to the 28th infantry division, and served overseas.
He was captured by the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge and was liberated
March 30, 1945.  He spent the next six months in various hospitals and
received an honorable medical discharge in September of 1945.  He was one
of five brothers who served in WW II.  He was appointed Kensett postmaster
May 1, 1946, where he served until his retirement in 1978.  He enjoyed
fishing and playing cribbage with his cronies.

Otto was very active in community affairs, serving on the Kensett and later
the Northwood-Kensett School Board for 29 years.  He was scout leader for
two years, and little league baseball coach for several years.  He served
on the Kensett Library Board, was secretary of the Kensett Telephone Co.,
served as city clerk, and also as councilman.  He was an avid fund raiser
for the Little League Baseball.  He served on the Kensett Fire Dept. for
several years.  At the time of his death he was a member of Bethany
Lutheran Church where he had served on the council and also as president
of the congregation.  He was instrumental in the completion of  the Kensett
cemetery sidewalk project.  Otto was a charter member of the Kensett Lions
Club, life member of the VFW, Ex POWs, and the DAV. 

He is survived by a son, Paul Ostby and his wife, Charlene, of Richmond,
Mich; a daughter, Janice and her husband, Larry Christensen, of Mason City;
two grandchildren, Dennis Ostby and his wife, Rita, and Diane Muglia and
her husband, Aldo; one stepgrandchild, Sherri Slifka; five great-grand
children; two step-greatgrandchildren; one brother, Roger Ostby and wife,
Naomi; three sisters, Mildred Bakken, Edythe Stovern, and Clarine Ryan;
six sisters-in-law, Norma Berge, Connie Berge, Ina LaDouceur, Frida Ostby,
Helen Ostby, and Bobbi Ostby.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Genevieve; three sisters,
Palma Nygaard, Rachel Gauthier, Pearl Erickson; and four brothers, William,
Paul Eugene, Thomas, and Wallace.




Copyright (c) 2002 by Kermit Kittleson
(Note: Not necessarily related to the subject of this obituary.)

This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.

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