Harry Tilford Tjelta

FOREST CITY - Harry T. Tjelta, age 81 of Forest City, died Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at his home in Forest City. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, May 20, 2011 at the United Methodist Church in Forest City with Pastor Jerald Swanberg officiating. Visitation will be held an hour prior to service at the church. Burial will be at Madison Township Cemetery in rural Forest City with Graveside Military Rites provided by Forest City American Legion Post 121. Harry Tilford Tjelta was born on a farm south of Forest City, in Hancock County, Iowa, on July 26, 1929, the son of Abraham and Mary (Bower) Tjelta. He received his education in the Forest City and Fertile school systems, graduating from Fertile High School in 1947. He served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict and was stationed in Alaska. Following his honorable discharge from the service, he returned to the Forest City area. On August 26, 1955 he was united in marriage to Peggy Faber and the couple farmed for many years in Worth County. In 1969 they moved to Forest City. Harry loved to work ~ working at the grist mill, driving school bus, doing some trucking ~ anything he could set his hands t...[more]

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For 17 years he worked at Winnebago Industries, retiring in 1994. Even now he was working part-time at Krysilis as a bus driver. Harry loved to garden, liked raising tomatoes and was working on a bell collection that was quite substantial. He enjoyed traveling and every year throughout their married lives, Harry and Peg always looked forward to a fun vacation together somewhere. He was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Forest City American Legion Post 121. Harry is survived by his wife of 55 years, Peggy Tjelta of Forest City, his sister, Thelma Lewis of Minneapolis, MN and many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.