Elfrieda Louise Turnmire

ELFRIEDA LOUISE TURNMIRE

The funeral service for Elfrieda Turnmire will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 16, 2013, at Peace Lutheran Church in Claremont, MN, with Pastor Daniel Provost officiating.
With family at her side, Elfrieda Louise Elizabeth (Wessel) Turnmire went to be with her Lord on February 12, 2013, at the age of ninety-seven years at Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna, Minnesota.
Elfrieda, the daughter of Edward and Amanda (Nolte) Wessel, was born December 11, 1915, in Rolling Green Township, Martin County, Minnesota. She was baptized on January 2, 1916, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Fairmont, Minnesota, and confirmed on March 24, 1929. She attended school in Rolling Green Township in Martin County.
On November 28, 1937, Elfrieda was united in marriage to Roy William Turnmire at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Truman, Minnesota. After their marriage, Roy and Elfrieda moved to the community of Stewartville, MN, to start their life’s work of farming and raising a family. Throughout the years, they also farmed between Claremont and Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. In 1959, Roy and Elfrieda moved the family to a farm near Dodge Center, Minnesota, where they farmed until they retired. A short time after Roy’s death on November 5, 1980, Elfrieda moved to Claremont, Minnesota.
Elfrieda was very active in Peace Lutheran as a member of Ladies Aid and LWML as well as serving as an LWML Convention Delegate, secretary-treasurer of AAL, and Lutheran Church Extension Fund representative. Because of her generous donations to the college, Elfrieda was a member of both the St. Paul Society and Club 24/7 of Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition to her gifts to Concordia University, and even though she lived on a limited income, Elfrieda abounded in charitable giving, regularly making cash or quilt donations to such organizations as Lutheran World Relief, Feed the Children, The Navigators, and the Ronald McDonald House. She also volunteered to help with community activities as well, including donating quilts for silent auctions and event prizes. In prior years, Elfrieda served as the community chairperson for the St. Jude’s Bike-a-thon. In August of 2012, Elfrieda was selected by the Chamber of Commerce as Claremont’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year.
When Elfrieda was not working at church or in the community, she would spend her time with embroidery work and/or quilting. Over the years, Elfrieda made well over 200 crib/baby
quilts, and more than 200 queen, full, or twin-sized quilts, as well as other sewing projects. Baking cookies—especially at Christmas—for family and friends was also an activity she enjoyed.
In her leisure time, Elfrieda enjoyed traveling to various parts of the United States to visit family and friends, or to just see the country. As recently as September of 2012, she accompanied family members to Colorado for the Golden Anniversary celebration of her oldest daughter and husband.
Elfrieda was preceded in death by her parents Edward and Amanda Wessel, her husband, Roy, her brothers, Harold, Walter, and Roger Wessel, eight brothers-in-law, one sister-in-law, and four great-grandchildren. She is survived by daughters, Irene (Jim) Dykes of Fort Morgan, CO; Margaret (Robert) Wilkins of Eagan, MN; Lorraine (John) Nelson of Lake Park. IA; Ruth (Larry) Clark of Wadena, MN; Dorothy (Barth) Crane of Rochester, MN; Alice (Greg) Opatrny of Lakeville, MN; sons, Glen (Nickie) of Excello, MO; and David of Dallas, TX; brothers, Loren (Beulah), Reinhardt (Kathy), and Edward (Sylvia) Wessel of Truman, MN, and Howard (Lucille) Wessel of New Ulm, MN; and sister, Luella Jurgenson of Mankato, MN; sisters-in-law, Alice Wessel of Fond du Lac, WI, and Luella Wessel of Truman, MN; thirty-four grandchildren, fifty-one great grandchildren, and fifteen great-great grandchildren; several cousins, and many nieces and nephews.
Elfrieda’s life exemplified a zest for living, diligence and hard work, service to family, friends, and community, charitable giving, and, most importantly, a love for, and trust in, her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Visitation will be 5:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, February 15, 2013, at the Czaplewski Family Funeral Home, 25 South Street SW in Dodge Center and one hour before the service at the church on Saturday.
Active pallbearers are Curtis Dykes, Michael Wilkins, Gregory Sim, Jason Cerar, Joshua Turnmire, and Ryan Turnmire. Honorary pallbearers are her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in Dodge Center; arrangements are with the Czaplewski Family Funeral Home of Dodge Center, 25 South Street SW.

Blessed be her memory.