Olive Grinna
Olive B. Grinna, 90, of Waukon died Sunday, February 12, 2017 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Thursday, February 16 at 11 a.m. at Glenwood Lutheran Church in rural Decorah with Pastor Stacey Nalean-Carlson officiating. Burial will be at Glenwood West Cemetery, rural Decorah. Friends may call from 9:30 a.m. until time of services Thursday at the church. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.
Olive Bernell Grinna was born January 22, 1927 in Decorah, the daughter of Alfred and Helen (Engen) Ramstad. She was baptized February 13, 1927 and confirmed May 25, 1941 at Madison Lutheran Church in rural Decorah. Olive attended Madison Township country schools and Decorah High School. Later, she received her GED from Northeast Iowa Community College.
May 19, 1945, Olive married Vernon Grinna at the Madison Lutheran Church parsonage. The couple farmed and raised their family west of Frankville. Olive helped with all the farm work, including milking cows. After her children were grown, Olive worked a variety of jobs including as a nurse’s aide at Aase Haugen Home in Decorah and Makee Manor in Waukon, an inspector for Northern Engraving in Waukon, and was a cook at Quandahl’s and the Fireplace in Waukon. In 1983, she and Vernon moved into Waukon where she had resided ever since.
She was a member of Glenwood Lutheran Church, where she was involved with the ladies circle, sang in the choir and taught Sunday school. Olive loved cooking and baking and made awesome pies and potato salad. With Vernon, she would go dancing every Saturday at Matter’s Ballroom and would join him fishing on the Mississippi. Musically inclined, Olive played the guitar and organ. She also enjoyed bowling, playing cards, growing flowers and embroidering dish towels.
Olive is survived by her three children: Donna (Dennis) Blumhagen of Castalia, Shirley (Bill) Holtey of Cedar Rapids and Gary (Nancy) Grinna of Postville; nine grandchildren: Brian (Kristy), Daniel (Gina) and David (Kristen) Blumhagen, Lisa (Tom) Blumhagen Fuhry, Brent (Katie), Brad and Blaine Grinna, Chris Holtey and Trisha (Jon) Fortune; 11 great-grandchildren: Owen, Olivia, Josiah and Gideon Blumhagen, Beckett, Callum and Tayva Fortune, Delaney and Caden Holtey, and Gunnar and Soren Grinna; a brother, Stan (Bernita) Ramstad of Cedar Falls; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Vernon, in 1993; her sister, Doris (Bob) Rendleman; and a brother, Art (Jane) Ramstad.
Casketbearers are Brian, Daniel and David Blumhagen, Brent, Brad and Blaine Grinna and Chris Holtey.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
