Edna Olness Onsrud

RUSHFORD, MINN. - Edna Olness Onsrud, 92, passed away at Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Rushford on July 11, 2008. Edna was born in Rushford on September 3, 1915, to Roy and Christine (Laumb) James. She graduated from Rushford High School and was baptized and confirmed at the Rushford Lutheran Church. In 1943, Edna married Conrad Olness of Peterson, Minn. They lived in LaCrosse, Wis. While in LaCrosse, she worked at the Federal Bakery and Sonitone Hearing Aid Company. She enjoyed dancing, fishing, and baseball. Con passed away in 1966. In 1973, Edna married Paul Onsrud of LaCrosse, Wis. After a marriage of six months, Paul passed away. In 1974, Edna moved to Sun City, Arizona. In Sun City, she worked part time in a drug store at their soda fountain. She loved relaxing in the spa on her patio and enjoying time entertaining friends and relatives who visited her. In 1997, she moved to Tampa, Florida. She often returned to Minnesota to spend time with relatives for holidays, summer vacations, and her birthday. In the fall of 2000, she returned to Minnesota and lived in assisted living apartments in Winona and Houston, Minn. In 2004, she moved to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Home in Rushford and had resided there since that time. Edna's hobbies included being an avid reader, a collector of owls, and being active in her church. She also enjoyed traveling to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and numerous places in the United States. Edna had no children, but is survived by nephews and nieces: Vincent (Val) Niggle of Overland Park, Kan., Leland (Donna) James of Rushford, Minn., Kathleen (Gary) Fossen of Tampa, Fla., Roberta (Harley) Johnson of Austin, Minn., Carol (Robert) Tweten of Byron, Minn., Sybil Williams of Monterey, Cal., DeeAnn (Verdonne) Erickson of Mabel, Minn., and Vicki (Milford) McKay of Houston, Minn. She is also survived by seventeen great nieces and nephews, and many great, great nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and two husbands, Edna was preceded in death by her brothers and sisters, Martin, Melvin, Catherine (Niggle), Gordon, Verna (Betz), and Vernon. There will be a memorial service for Edna at 1:30 p.m., on Saturday, July 19, at Hoff Funeral Home in Rushford, Minn. with funeral celebrant John Wagenaar officiating. Please feel free to leave a memory of Edna, sign her online guestbook, and view her tribute video at www.hofffuneral.com
Tribute video can be found at: videos.lifetributes.com/23817