Clifford Smorstad

     Clifford Smorstad, age 96, of Decorah, IA, died on Sunday, July 13, 2014, at Wellington Place Nursing Home, in Decorah, IA.      Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, July 19, 2014, at the Canoe Ridge Canoe Lutheran Church, 1316 Canoe Ridge Road, Decorah, IA, with Rev. Stacey Nalean-Carlson.   Burial will be in the Pontoppidan Cemetery, rural Decorah, IA.      Friends may call from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., on Friday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, 604 South Avenue, Decorah, IA, and also after 9:30 a.m. at the church on Saturday morning.      Memorials may be given in memory of Clifford Smorstad to the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church, 1316 Canoe Ridge Road, Decorah, IA, 52101.      Clifford Julian Smorstad was born on May 24, 1918, the son of Carl and Alma (Hill) Smorstad in rural Decorah, IA. Clifford grew up near Frankville and then on a family farm in Glenwood Township. Clifford attended the Sheggrud School rural Decorah, he was well known for many decades for his portable sawmill that he took to many areas in a hundred mile radius of Decorah. He also ran a land improvement business, that involved building ponds, terraces, waterways, and clearing of brush and trees. Clifford married Dagny Myrtle Sandbeck on September 11, 1945 at the Glenwood Lutheran Church and they had four children, Darlene, Dianne, Donna and Dean. After Dagny died, Clifford then was united in marriage to Hazel Forde Ottney on December 31, 1970, at the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church. Clifford was proud of his Norwegian heritage, speaking Norwegian, and he enjoyed eating potatoes, ludefisk and lefse. He enjoyed traveling with a trip to Norway and Germany in 1973. Clifford loved to dance to polkas; often working hard all day long sawing and threshing and then going out to dance. He enjoyed going to the Mabel Hesper Steam Engine Days and to the Waukon Sawing and Threshing Days, as well as many other celebrations in the area. Clifford served as janitor of the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church from 1997-2007. Clifford was a member of the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church, the Sons of Norway, and I.O.O.F. Winneshiek Lodge #58.      Clifford is survived by three daughters: Darlene (Ronald) Emery, Decorah, IA; Dianne Burke, Decorah, IA and Donna (Richard) Bentley, Minneapolis, MN. One son: Dean (Mary Jean) Smorstad, Cedar Rapids, IA. Two step-daughters: Nina (Jim) LaPorte, Edinburg, TX and Marvel Tomczak, Jefferson, WI. One step-son: Ed (Barb Esler) Ottney, Decorah, IA. Grandchildren: Nicolle Smith, Brandy (Robert) Moore, Kelly (Philip) Dotzler, Travis Smorstad, Heidi (fiancé Xavier Moore) Smorstad, Chelsea Smorstad and Derek Smorstad, Carl Magnusson, Clayton (Brianna) Burke, Briana Burke, Neil (Alison) Bentley, Angela (Mark) Schwarze, along with many great grandchildren, one great great grandchild, many nephews, nieces and great nieces and nephews.      Clifford was preceded in death by his parents: Carl and Alma (Hill) Smorstad, his first wife: Dagny Myrtle Sanbeck Smorstad on November 30, 1968, his second wife: Hazel Forde Ottney Smorstad on November 11, 2008, his brother: Harris (Audrey) Smorstad, and step-son: Lyle Ottney