Iva Althoff
Iva N. Althoff, 94, of Lansing, formerly of Waukon, died Sunday, December 15, 2019 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Funeral services were held Friday, December 20 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Mark Osterhaus officiating. Burial was at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon.
Iva Nell Kurdelmeier Althoff was born April 14, 1925 in the small village of Clayton Center, the daughter of William and Margarite (Adams) Kurdelmeier. Margarite was 16 years old at the time of Ivy’s birth. There was no way of knowing at that time the shortened version of her birth name, Ivy, would end up sounding like a description of her life, I.V.
Ivy left home and moved to her aunt’s home in Dubuque, where she finished high school and worked at various jobs. After graduating, she attended registered nurse’s (RN) training at Finely Hospital in Dubuque. It was while Ivy was walking to school that she met Cletus C. Althoff, who offered to help carry her clarinet.
Clet and Ivy were married on the Army Air Corps base in Dyersberg, TN December 29, 1944. They moved to Manchester after Clet was discharged from the service. Ivy worked as a RN while she and Clet raised three children: Cheryl, Ann “Annie,” and Cletus Cyril “C.C.”, II.
While their children were young, Ivy worked full-time-plus at the local hospital in Manchester. Also, while the family was living in Manchester, C.C. survived a tonsillectomy that went badly due to unfortunate complications with the anesthesia. As a result, Ivy was inspired to apply and attend the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program at St. Francis in La Crosse, WI. In 1960, Ivy became a graduate of the first CRNA program that had allowed females to take the training.
At first Ivy found it very difficult to find a job as a female CRNA in Iowa. Finally in 1961, Dr. Clarke Rominger of Waukon offered Ivy the opportunity to work at the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Soon she was on call 24/7 at as many as seven hospitals in the northeast Iowa area. Ivy continued to work in both Waukon and Decorah until Winneshiek County Hospital built a new larger hospital. She was offered a full-time position at the new hospital, where she remained until retiring in 1992.
When asked about Ivy’s special interests, you would have to answer, “Medicine, healthcare, medicine, healthcare, medicine, gardening, family, holidays, healthcare, and medicine.” It could be said that whether or not Ivy liked people, she loved taking care of them. After retiring, Ivy and Clet thoroughly enjoyed living in the home they built on an acreage at Breezy Corners south of Waukon.
Ivy is survived by her three children: Cheryl Brenner of Gallatin Gateway, MT, and Ann (Mike) Gallagher and C.C. (Mary Easton) Althoff, both of Waukon; four grandchildren: Tyler (Shawna) Brenner, AriAnna (Josh) Carroll, Sern “Buck” (Abigail) Olson and Alexa Althoff (Chris Garro); five great-grandchildren: Devyn (Brenner) Young, Madison Brenner, Leif Olson, Finn Carroll and Lux Olson. She is also survived by her brother, Robert “Bob” (Betty) Kurdelmeyer of Monona. Ivy was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Cletus Cyril Althoff, who died in 2017; and a brother, William “Bill” Kurdelmeyer.
Honorary casketbearer was Dawn Blocker. Casketbearers were Alexa Althoff, Ari and Finn Carroll, Tyler Brenner, and Sern “Buck” and Leif Olson.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
