Olive B. Grinna

Tuesday, February 14, 2017 8:15 pm

Olive B. Grinna, 90, of Waukon, died Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services are Thursday, Feb. 16, at 11 a.m. at Glenwood Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, with Pastor Stacey Nalean-Carlson officiating. Burial is at Glenwood West Cemetery, rural Decorah. Friends may call from 9:30 a.m. until time of services Thursday, at the church. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements. Casket bearers are Brian, Daniel and David Blumhagen, Brent, Brad and Blaine Grinna, and Chris Holtey. Online condolences may be left at martinfunerals.com.

Olive Bernell Grinna was born Jan. 22, 1927, in Decorah, the daughter of Alfred and Helen (Engen) Ramstad. She was baptized Feb. 13, 1927, and confirmed May 25, 1941, at Madison Lutheran Church in rural Decorah. Olive attended Madison Township country schools and Decorah High School. Later, she received her GED from Northeast Iowa Community College. Olive married Vernon Grinna May 19, 1945, at the Madison Lutheran Church parsonage. The couple farmed and raised their family west of Frankville. Olive helped with all the farm work, including milking cows. After her children were grown, Olive worked a variety of jobs including as a nurse’s aide at Aase Haugen Home in Decorah and McKee Manor in Waukon, an inspector for Northern Engraving in Waukon, and was a cook at Quandahl’s and the Fireplace in Waukon. In 1983, she and Vernon moved into Waukon where she had resided ever since. She was a member of Glenwood Lutheran Church, where she was involved with the ladies circle, sang in the choir, and taught Sunday school. Olive loved cooking and baking and made awesome pies and potato salad. With Vernon, she would go dancing every Saturday at Matter’s Ballroom and would join him fishing on the Mississippi. Musically inclined, Olive played the guitar and organ. She also enjoyed bowling, playing cards, growing flowers, and embroidering dish towels.

Olive is survived by her three children: Donna (Dennis) Blumhagen of Castalia, Shirley (Bill) Holtey of Cedar Rapids and Gary (Nancy) Grinna of Postville; nine grandchildren: Brian (Kristy), Daniel (Gina), and David (Kristen) Blumhagen, Lisa (Tom) Blumhagen Fuhry, Brent (Katie), Brad, and Blaine Grinna, Chris Holtey, and Trisha (Jon) Fortune; 11 great-grandchildren: Owen, Olivia, Josiah, and Gideon Blumhagen, Beckett, Callum, and Tayva Fortune, Delaney and Caden Holtey and Gunnar and Soren Grinna; a brother, Stan (Bernita) Ramstad of Cedar Falls; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Vernon in 1993; her sister Doris (Bob) Rendleman; and a brother Art (Jane) Ramstad.