Mildred Odena Lee Churness

Mildred Odena (Lee) Churness, 93, died Saturday, October 1, 2011. Mildred Odena (Lee) Churness, 93, passed away Saturday, October 1, 2011, at Bethel Home in Viroqua, Wisconsin, where she has resided for three and a half years. She was surrounded by the love of her family. Mildred was born at home on Nash Ridge, rural Ferryville, on Nov. 27, 1917, to Ole Andrew and Mena Louisa (Rust) Lee. She was baptized and confirmed in Freeman Lutheran Church, a congregation which, for her first 23 years, played such a significant part in her faith formation. For many of those years, Norwegian was her primary language in church. For her eight years of elementary education, Mildred, along with her sisters and school-mates from the neighboring farms, followed the cow path leading from the ridge down through the woods into the valley to the Lower Sugar Creek School. A distance of almost two miles! Following her graduation from Viroqua High School, she obtained her teaching degree from Vernon County Normal School. She taught rural school at Davis Dale near Soldier's Grove for three years, and then, at Mt. Sterling Elementary for three and one half years. On June 6, 1942, she married Oris Hartwick Churness at Freeman Lutheran Church. She and Oris farmed for nearly forty years on Hwy 27, two miles north of Mt. Sterling. Following the death of Oris in 1981, Mildred managed the farm alone until December of 2003. At that time, she sold the farm and moved to Maplewood Assisted Living in Viroqua. In February of 2008, she moved to Bethel Home because of a broken hip. Along with her love for Christ, love of music has been so central in Mildred's life. While in high school and during her teaching years, she played organ and directed choirs at Freeman Lutheran Church. She loved singing alto in a trio with her sisters and in other groups. Many children were taught private piano lessons in her home. For the past 60 years, Mildred has been a faithful member of Mt. Sterling Lutheran Church where she was organist for over 30 years, directed Junior and Senior Choirs, and received much joy through the fellowship of her sisters in Rebecca Circle and WELCA. As well as from all the dear saints of Mt Sterling and Utica Parish. Mildred was a gracious, loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, aunt, and friend. She loved and celebrated each one for their individual uniqueness. She will be remembered for her welcoming arms to all who entered her home; her innumerable family meals lovingly prepared and served around the large kitchen table on the farm; her homemade breads, buns, cookies, and pies; her playing the piano while singing nursery rhymes and hymns, first, with her children, and later, with her grandchildren and great grandchildren gathered close to her on the piano bench; her fervent desire that her children too would come to love the piano and practice daily for all those lessons in Viroqua; her enjoyment from watching the birds gathering at the feeder in winter; her sitting in the living-room on the farm listening to Classical Music on Public Radio or the Brewers. Mildred is survived by her four children: Roger (Sandra) Churness of Chippewa Falls; Ellen (Allan) Olien Dexter of Lima, Ohio; Stuart (Karen) Churness of Wausau; Paul (Margit) Churness of Durand; her ten grandchildren: Jason (Darla) Churness of Eagan, Minnesota; Aaron (Jayne) Churness of Apple Valley, Minnesota; Krista Churness of Minneapolis; Elisa (Rob) Thomas of Columbus, Ohio; Jenna (Ted) Harris of Marysville, Ohio; Brenda (Chad) Olien Lewis of Clinton, Ohio; Kyle Churness of Duluth, Minnesota; Dana (Dustin) Churness/Moriarty of Herbster; Kari (Dennis) Vogel of LaCrosse; Corinne Churness of Minneapolis; Loren Churness of Eau Claire; her twelve great-grandchildren; her three sisters: Lila Storaasli of St. Paul, Minnesota; Amber Helgerson of Lacrosse; Edith Sandwick of Viroqua; and her many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Oris, in 1981; her two brothers, Orlando and Harold; her sister, Gladys Froiland; her son-in-law, Ray Olien; her grandson, Daniel Olien; and her numerous beloved relatives. Mildred's family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the many Maplewood and Bethel Home staff who have cared so lovingly and faithfully for Mildred throughout these final years of her life. Mange Takk! The family would also like to thank the staff of Vernon Memorial Hospice for their compassionate care. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at Mt. Sterling Lutheran Church. Pastor Doug Andersen will officiate with burial in the church cemetery. Friends may call on Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home 123 W. Decker (hwy 56) in Viroqua. Friends may also call on Wednesday at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. The family requests that in lieu of flowers and plants, memorial gifts be given to Mt. Sterling Lutheran Church, Bethel Home, or Vernon Memorial Hospice Home. The Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home of Viroqua is serving the family.