Willard Orvella
Age - 98
November 22, 2023
Willard Kenneth Orvella of Decorah, Iowa, died Saturday, October 14, 2023, at Hillcrest Home in Sumner, Iowa. He was 98. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a. m. , Saturday, October 21, 2023, at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, rural Decorah, with the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Edinger officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:30 a. m. - 10:30 a. m. at the Church on Saturday. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, memorials be given to Washington Prairie Lutheran church or Washington Prairie Cemetery fund. Willard, son of Helmer and Cora Stoen Orvella, was born May 17, 1925, on his parents' farm one mile south of Washington Prairie Church. He was baptized into the Christian faith at his home by the Reverend Paul Koren and was later confirmed in his faith at Washington Prairie. He attended country school through the eighth grade and graduated from Decorah Senior High School in 1944. He was an active 4-H member, and he enjoyed spending his summers playing on the Nordness baseball team. On February 8, 1953, Willard married Eloise Blegen. Together they had four children: Mary, Kathy, Jim, and Larry. They enjoyed traveling to visit family and friends. Willard also enjoyed playing cards and trout fishing. Willard was very involved in agriculture throughout his life. He began farming with his father on the farm east of Decorah on Highway 9. He eventually took over the farming operation and spent his working life there growing crops, milking cows, and raising hogs. In both 1950 and 1953 he won the Master Corn Growers award for Winneshiek County for having the best corn yield. He was a life-long member of Farm Bureau and served as its local treasurer for 26 yearsWillard's faith and his participation in church activities were very important parts of his life. As a young man he took an active part in the physical construction of the parish hall at the church in the late 40's. He took part in quarrying the stones used in the building, transporting them to the building site, and mixing the mortar used in construction. He also held various offices and positions at church, among them: deacon, trustee, member of the Board of Education, and janitor. When it was necessary to replace the church roof in 1997, Willard and Eloise, together with Orville and Dorothy Halverson, made and sold 5,600 lefse to help raise the money. Willard is survived by two daughters: Mary (John) Sersland of Sun City West, Arizona, and Kathy (Rick) Gloede of Sumner, Iowa; two sons: Jim Orvella and Larry (Jane) Orvella, both of Decorah; seven grandchildren: Peter Sersland, Eva (Cody) Hagan, Zachary (Melissa) Sersland, Heather Gloede, Anthony (Britney) Gloede, Andy (Laura Kos) Orvella, Rebecca (Matthew) Moore; ten great-grandchildren; two sisters: Lillian Bruvold and Arlys (Wayne) Soeder; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eloise; his parents, Helmer and Cora Orvella; and one granddaughter, Maria Ann Orvella.Show more
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