Mary Nahnsen

April 30, 2006

Mary Nahnsen joined the Lord on April 30, 2006. Funeral services for Mary Nahnsen, 99, of Perry, Iowa, formerly of Jefferson, will be 10:00 AM Wednesday May 3, 2006 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Jefferson, with burial in Dawson Township Cemetery, Greene County, Iowa. Visitation will start at 3:00 pm Tuesday at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home, Jefferson, with family present to greet friends from 7:00-9:00 PM. A prayer service will be held Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM. Mary Dorthea Luella Nahnsen was born April 3, 1907, in Lohrville, Iowa. She was the daughter of William and Elizabeth Schroeder. Mary was baptized at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church at Farnhamville. She grew up on the family farm near Lohrville and attended rural school. As a young girl, Mary cared for her grandmother and two handicapped brothers. On January 18, 1939, Mary was united in marriage to Lawrence Herman Nahnsen at the farm near Lohrville. The couple spent their married life on a family farm in Dawson Township in Greene County, Iowa. During this time in her life, Mary was a member of Christ Lutheran Church near Churdan. Mary stayed on the farm until 1978. She moved into Jefferson, and became a member of Trinity Lutheran Church. In the summer of 1999 she entered the Perry Lutheran Home where she was a resident until her death on April 30, 2006. She was 99 years of age. Mary always put her family first in her life. She liked to entertain. Friends and relatives were frequent visitors, and no matter when they arrived at Mary’s, she always had something for them to eat. Mary loved to fish and play cards. She had a large garden and there were always lots of canned fruits and vegetables to eat. Mary really enjoyed living on the farm. When she moved into town, she was still able to watch the cattle from her kitchen window. Mary had a strong faith that never faltered. God was always there for her and she could not wait to join him. Please celebrate this joyful reunion with us. Survivors include one daughter, Lois Rae Brant of Jefferson, IA; two granddaughters: Brenda (Mark) Derry of Bagley, IA and Sandra (Terry) Day of Jefferson, IA; eight great-grandchildren; a brother-in-law, Elmer Nahnsen of Jefferson; and a sister-in-law, Irene Schroeder of Moorland, IA. Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 1974, son-in-law Gary Brant in 1988; five brothers and one sister.