John O. Glesne

Wednesday, June 20, 2018 1:31 pm

John O. Glesne, 90, of Decorah, died Saturday morning, June 16, 2018, at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah. Memorial services are at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 23, at First Lutheran Church in Decorah, with Rev. Chad Huebner officiating. Private family inurnment is in Lutheran Cemetery in Decorah. Visitation begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, one hour before the service, at First Lutheran Church. Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at fjelstul.com.

John Oscar Glesne was born Dec. 3, 1927, on the family farm at St. Olaf, to Oscar and Josephine (Lee) Glesne. He was baptized and confirmed at Norway Lutheran Church, St. Olaf. He attended the Glesne School for the elementary grades and graduated from Elkader High School with the class of 1945. He attended the University of Iowa for one semester. John enlisted in the U.S. Navy January 1946 and was discharged December 1947. While in the U.S. Navy and stationed on Saipan, John played baseball. He completed his college studies at Luther College graduating in 1951. At Luther John was a catcher on the baseball team

John was united in marriage to Ann Stokke at Glenwood Lutheran Church July 14, 1950. They eloped! John was a social studies/history teacher and coach in Glenwood, Minn. for two years, where he also played summer league baseball. For 10 years he was a teacher/coach in Harmony, Minn. John then sold insurance in Decorah for Lutheran Brotherhood, Horace Mann and American Family. He retired from American Family in 1990. After retirement he worked for the NE Iowa Agency on Aging delivering congregate meals. He enjoyed playing golf and following the St. Louis Cardinals. John made the best pies and was an expert at making lefse. He was interviewed and appeared in the book- The Last Word on Lefse by Gary Legwold. John was a member of First Lutheran Church, a past member of Silvercrest Golf & Country Club and a volunteer at the Decorah Public Library.

John is survived by his wife, Ann and his four daughters: Susan (Mark) Nielsen of Sioux City, Paula Glesne (Bruce Smith) of Bend, Ore., Kristin (Ed) Stracke of St. Cloud, Minn. and Mary (Randy) Brauns of Coralville; grandchildren: Nina (Erik) Bockholdt, Ingrid (Jon) vanAnrooy, Erin Glesne Smith (Lisette Tamkei), Caleb (Angie) Stracke, Jordan (Katie) Stracke, Maria Stracke (Alex Wermer-Colan), Emma Stracke and Christian, Even and Rhys Brauns; great-grandchildren: Thijs and Finn vanAnrooy, Grace and Benjamin Bockholdt, Graham and Bria Stracke and Benjamin and Keillor Stracke. John also is survived by one niece and two nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents; his brother and wife, E. Lee and Mary Ann Glesne; and nephew, John Glesne.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Decorah Community Food Pantry, P.O. Box 26, Decorah, IA 52101, or to your favorite organization.