Hazel (Ottney) I. Smorstad

Hazel (Ottney) Smorstad, age 89, of Decorah, Iowa, died on Tuesday, November 11, 2008, at the Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah, Iowa, following a short illness. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 17, 2008, at the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church, rural Decorah, Iowa, with Rev. Douglas Mathison officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 2:00-4:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, in Decorah, Iowa, and after 10:00 a.m. at the church on Monday morning. Hazel Ione (Forde) Ottney Smorstad was born on April 18, 1919, the daughter of Henry O. and Hannah (Nelson) Forde in Winneshiek County. Hazel was baptized and confirmed at the Iowa River Lutheran Church and attended Winneshiek County rural schools. On February 22, 1936, she married Leonard Edward Ottney by Rev. Glesne, to this union, five children were born: Nina, Lyle, Ed, Marvel and Donna. They farmed in Pleasant Township until 1942, when they moved for a short time to Vancouver, Washington and then to Badger, Wisconsin, for seven years. In 1958, they returned to north of Decorah and farmed until Leonard died in 1969. Hazel married Clifford Smorstad on December 31, 1970, at the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church. Hazel worked at Wapsie Produce in Decorah for forty years. Hazel enjoyed sewing, quilting, genealogy, making Norwegian foods and speaking Norwegian, as well as traveling to Norway and Germany and the United States. Hazel was a member of the Canoe Ridge Lutheran Church and the Veda Circle, ALCW, the Rebecca Lodge and the Sons of Norway. Hazel’s survivors include her husband: Clifford Smorstad, Decorah, IA. Two daughters: Nina (Jim) LaPorte, Edinburg, TX and Marvel Tomczak, Jefferson, WI. Two sons: Lyle Ottney, Decorah, IA and Ed (Lori) Ottney, Decorah, IA. Three step-daughters: Darlene (Ronald) Emery, Decorah, IA; Diane Burke, Decorah, IA and Donna (Richard) Bentley, Aberdeen, SD. One step-son: Dean (Mary Jean) Smorstad, Cedar Rapids, IA. Twenty-three grandchildren: Vicki (Matthew) Massey, Cindi (Marvin) Kloskowski, Kevin Tomczak, Gregory (Jennifer) Tomczak, Tanya Nordness, Denni (David) Sellnow, Larry (Cheryl) Schroeder, Rocky Schroeder, Robin, Edwin (Michelle) Ottney, Cory Kleppe, Nicolle (Wayne) Smith, Brandy (Robert) Moore, Kelly (Philip) Dotzler, Travis, Heidi, Chelsea and Derek Smorstad, Carl Magnusson, Clayton Burke, Briana Burke, Neil (Allison) Bentley, Angela (Mark) Schwartz, along with many great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. Hazel was preceded in death by her parents: Henry and Hannah Forde. Her first husband: Leonard E. Ottney on April 26, 1969. One daughter: Donna Ottney from complications of polio in 1960. One daughter-in-law: Beate Ottney on July 29, 1996. Two son-in-laws: Walter Tomczak on August 26, 1980 and Lawrence Schroeder.