Lillian Tonsfeldt

Lillian Tonsfeldt,  95 years old, of Granville, IA, died Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, at Orange City Area Health System Hospital in Orange City, IA.
      Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Granville, IA with Rev. Richard Ball officiating.  Burial will be in the Remsen Community Cemetery in Remsen.  Friends may call anytime after 9 a.m. until service time on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 at the church.  Services have been entrusted to Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen.
      Lillian was born May 5, 1915, at rural Granville, IA  the daughter of Conrad & Elizabeth (Gehrens) Beelner.  Lillian was raised in the Remsen area and received her education at St. Mary’s Catholic School, graduating in 1933.  After graduation she obtained her teaching certificate and began teaching in a rural country school in Plymouth County.  In 1938 she moved to California and began working at Douglas Aircraft as a procurement agent.
      On January 19, 1940 she married Murl Tonsfeldt at Madera,  California. The couple moved back to the Granville area in 1944 where they farmed until his retirement from farming at the age of 85.  Lillian returned to teaching in 1958 at St. Joseph’s Grade School in Granville and Spalding Junior High School where she was a math and English teacher during that time she obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Westmar College in LeMars.  She retired from teaching in 1983.  Murl died Dec. 20, 2009.
      Lillian was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church & church guild, past member of Catholic Daughter of America.
      Survivors include:  One daughter: Sandra M. Landman & her husband L. Charles,  Jr. of Winona, MN; 4) Grandchildren:  Sandra L. Lowenhar & her husband Edward of Belle Mead, NJ,  Elizabeth A. Stratton & her husband Bradley of Excelsior, MN,  L. Charles Landman,  III & his wife Lynn of Peoria, IL, Murl Edward Landman & his wife Sarah of Winona, MN. 6) Great Grandchildren: Abigail, Cecilia &  Nathanial Stratton, Samuel &  Lillian Lowenhar,   L. Charles Landman,  IV; One brother-in-law, Clifford Tonsfeldt & his wife Lavonne of Remsen, IA;  5) Sisters-in-law: Marian Taylor of Marcus, IA,  Joyce Mercer of Fonda, IA, Dee Tonsfeldt-Mulder & her husband Ed of Spirit Lake, IA, Virginia Beelner, Dolly Beelner both of California; Several Nieces and nephews.
      Preceded by: Parents, Three brothers, Edward Beelner & his wife Mona, Clarence Beelner & his wife Vivian, & Roman Beelner & his wife Joyce; Three sisters, Virgina Schwarz & her  husband George, Florence Offerman & her husband Roman, Elizabeth Gust & her husband Arthur, three brothers-in-law, Wallace Tonsfeldt,  Robert Mercer & Dale Taylor, One Granddaughter, Lilli Mae Landman.