OBITUARY: Margret F. (Patterson) Furness, 1922-2003, Worth Co., Iowa

[From: Northwood Anchor (online), Oct. 29, 2003]




                     Margret F. (Patterson) Furness

Margret F. (Patterson) Furness, 81 of Joice, Iowa, died Monday, Oct. 20,
2003, at the Lake Mills Care Center in Lake Mills, Iowa.

Funeral services were Saturday at Bethany Lutheran Church in Joice, with
Rev. Bill Peters officiating.

Margret Frances Patterson was born April 21, 1922, in Grand Forks, North
Dakota to Mabel (Danielson) and Howard Patterson, the first of four
children.  The family moved to Bemidji, Minnesota, where Margret attended
and graduated from Bemidji High School.

She married Melvin Furness on Aug. 30, 1941, in Longview, Washington.
They lived in Longview until Melvin entered the service in 1942.
Margret lived with family in Hanlontown, Iowa, and Bemidji, Minnesota,
while Melvin was stationed overseas. In 1943, Margret joined Melvin, who
was then stationed at Camp Hood in Killeen.  When Melvin was discharged
from the service in 1945 the couple returned to Iowa where he joined
his brother-in-law, Burton Aasland in a plumbing business in Joice, Iowa.

Margret lived in Joice for 45 years and was very involved in community
and church activities including the American Legion Auxiliary, UGO-IGO,
Friends of the Library, PTA, Mother's Club. She was Joice correspondent
for the Lake Mills Graphic for many years.  Past-time interests included
cooking for her family, playing bridge, golf, camping, many craft
activities and family gatherings.

Shortly after moving to Joice, Margret began cooking hot lunches for the
Joice school. Margret also held several part time jobs in Joice while
raising her family. With her family mostly raised, Margret began working
at the Lake Mills Care Center and was employed there for more than 20
years, initially as a nursing assistant, and later as activities director.

Margret is survived  by her children, Ardythe and Jerry Waldrop of
Owatonna, Minnesota; Patty and Marvin Abbott of Forest City, Iowa; Mark
and Nancy Furness of Owatonna, Minnesota; and Martha Furness and Rod Dalton
of Madrid, Iowa; fourteen grandchildren; fourteen great-grandchildren;
step-grandchildren; step-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews;
sister, Lillian (Pat) Barr; brother, Howard (Pete) Patterson and five
half-brothers and sisters, Douglas, Judy, Roger, Sherry and Randy
Patterson; along with aunt Nora Evenson of St. Cloud, Minnesota.

She is preceded in death by her husband Melvin, her parents, sister,
Evelyn Woodbury, half-brother Patrick Patterson and grandson Joel
Furness.



  Copyright 2003, K. L. Kittleson