Esther Viola TOLLEFSON

1916 - 2014  (98 years)

• Name	Esther Viola TOLLEFSON
  Birth	6 Mar 1916	Iowa
  Gender	Female
  Death	8 Nov 2014	Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota
  	Mayo
  Notes	Adria Funston Viola Teslow, age 98, of Decorah, IA, died Saturday morning, November 8, 2014 at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus in Rochester, MN. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, with Rev. Mark Kvale officiating. Burial will be in church cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 11 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah and on Wednesday beginning at 10:00 a.m., one hour before the service, at the church. Esther Viola (Tollefson) Teslow was born March 6, 1916 at home in rural Calmar, Iowa, the daughter of Herbert and Alma ( Halvorson) Tollefson. She was baptized March 19, 1916 at Springfield Lutheran Church and confirmed June 7, 1931 at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church. Viola attended rural country school and then graduated from Decorah High School with the Class of 1936, earning a Normal Teaching certificate by taking extra classes. She then did substitute teaching for a little while. Viola was united in marriage to Francis Norman “Frank” Teslow on February 11, 1939 at the Springfield Lutheran Church parsonage. To this union, six children were born: Janet, Patricia, Susan, Gary, Debra and Dianne. Frank and Viola farmed for many years and she was an active farm wife and homemaker, raising her family. She later worked for 18 years at Decorah Community Schools in food service at the high school. She was a member of Washington Prairie Lutheran Church where she was very active in circle. The church was very important to her. Viola loved spending time with her whole family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and she really enjoyed their visits; she also loved to cook for her family and all of their gatherings. She was a very good lefse maker, loved to play cards, reading, embroidery, making quilts, gardening, and enjoyed dancing with Frank. Viola became a resident of Wellington Place Assisted Living in September 2011. Viola was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Frank on January 30, 2006; one daughter, Janet Funston on October 2, 2007; one brother, Walter Tollefson; four sisters, Lillian Johnson, Helen Tollefson, Pearl Tollefson and Edna Grace Austad; two sons-in-law, Fred Gates and Marvin Manness; two grandchildren, Sherri and Kevin Funston; and a great-grandson, Cody Nikkel. Viola is survived by one son, Gary (Sue) Teslow of Decorah; four daughters, Patricia Manness of Barstow, CA, Susan (George) Vondruska of Watersmeet, MI, Debra (Stan) Moellers of Decorah and Dianne (Vince) Story of Billings, MT; one son-in-law, Stan Funston of Cedar Rapids, IA; eleven grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Theresa Teslow of Frankville, IA.
  Person ID	I38366	Don Carlson's Tree
  Last Modified	15 May 2023

  
  

  Father	Herbert Orlando TOLLEFSON,   b. 31 Jan 1896, Winneshiek County, Iowa d. 24 Aug 1980, Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa (Age 84 years)
  Mother	Alma Matilda HALVORSON,   b. 11 Jul 1891, Iowa d. 13 Aug 1986, Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa (Age 95 years)
  Family ID	F25982	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Francis Norman (Frank) TESLOW,   b. 2 Nov 1915, Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa d. 30 Jan 2006, Winneshiek County, Iowa (Age 90 years)
  Children	1. Janet Vernelle TESLOW,   b. 7 Aug 1939, Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa d. 2 Oct 2007, Linn County, Iowa (Age 68 years)
  Family ID	F25983	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	15 May 2023