LaVern R. Mohlis

1927 - 2013

LaVern R. Mohlis, age 85, of Decorah, Iowa, died Thursday morning, April 25, 2013 at Barthell O.E.S. Eastern Star Home in Decorah.

Memorial Services will be held at 1:00 P.M. Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at Decorah Lutheran Church with Rev. David Sorensen and Rev. Bryan Robertson officiating. Private Family Inurnment will be in Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah. Visitation will be from 4:00-6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 30 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, and on Wednesday beginning at 12 Noon, one hour before the service, at Decorah Lutheran Church.

LaVern Robert Mohlis, Vern, was born on November 3, 1927 to Frederick G. Mohlis and Hulda (Kirchmann) Mohlis in Dayton Township, Bremer County, Iowa. He graduated from Waterloo East High School June 8, 1945, and served in the U.S. Army in the Philippines from January 3, 1946 to March 16, 1947. On December 28, 1947 he married Dora Aleen Fay at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cresco, IA, and together they raised five children.

Vern was accomplished in many areas and worked in a number of fields, including at the Standard Oil station in Cresco, IA, before starting with Peoples Natural Gas Company in Cresco in 1962. His work moved the family to various communities, including Cresco, Calmar, Anamosa, Waterloo, IA; Auburn and Bellevue, NE; and Eagan, Farmington, and Brainerd, MN.

After a 30 year career with Peoples Natural Gas, he and Dora retired on Crow Wing Lake near Brainerd, MN where he enjoyed wood-working, fishing, hunting, gardening, doing puzzles, and giving boat rides to his grandkids.

His next career began in 1997, when Vern and Dora returned to northeast Iowa and he began selling real estate for the A&J Petersburg Agency in Decorah. He loved working with people to find just the right buyer and seller for the deal. His next retirement came at age 80.

Over the years, he was active in his churches and communities and was a member of many organizations, including Lions Club and Ducks Unlimited in the many places he lived and worked.

He is survived by his wife, Dora (Fay) Mohlis of Decorah; his children: Vicki (Mark) Donhowe of Decorah, IA, Kathryn (Steve) Severson of St. Cloud, MN, Robert (Cathy) Mohlis of Savage, MN, and Lisa (David) Kittleson of Blue Earth, MN; his grandchildren: Lea (Mark) Lovelace of Decorah, Sara (Joshua) Goldberg of Takoma Park, MD, Christopher Severson of St. Cloud, MN, Lacey (Casey) Burres of Bloomington, MN, Betsy (Nathaniel) McIntyre of Minneapolis, MN, Heidi (Jeremiah) Schutt of Winnebago, MN, Emily Kittleson of Minneapolis, MN, Hans Kittleson of Blue Earth, MN, Amanda Mohlis of St. Paul, MN, and Zachary Mohlis of Farmington, MN; his great grandchildren: Noah Lovelace, Ada Lovelace, Charlotte Goldberg, Amelia Goldberg, Micah Goldberg, Olive Burres, Penelope Burres, and Posey Burres; and his siblings: Wilbert (Evelyn) Mohlis of Spring Valley, MN, Paul (Motsy) Mohlis of Minneapolis, MN, and Betty (Mike) Guinn of Highland, CA.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and by his son, Michael Kurt Mohlis, who passed away on January 14, 2008.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Barthell Order of Eastern Star Home, 911 Ridgewood Drive, Decorah, IA 52101, Winneshiek Medical Center Hospice, 901 Montgomery Street, Decorah, IA 52101, or the Decorah Fish Hatchery, 2321 Siewers Spring Road, Decorah, IA 52101.