"Sending lots of love for all at this difficult loss - what a wonderful, spunky, smart person Avis was! Loved every time I got to see her, and sorry there weren't more such times. Big hugs to family!!!"
In loving memory of
Avis Wojahn
June 10, 1930 - July 24, 2019
HOUSTON: Avis M. Wojahn, 89, died Wednesday, July 24, 2019 in Houston, MN
Avis was born on June 10, 1930 to Otis and Ruby (Larson) Gaustad in Spring Grove, Minnesota. She attended the Brick School (District 21) in Yucatan thru the eighth grade and graduated from Houston High School in 1947. She attended Paul's Beauty School in Minneapolis and worked in a barber shop for about a year. She met Elmo Wojahn at a roller rink in St. Paul and always said they've been going around and around ever since. She and Elmo were married on November 14, 1948 and they lived in 27-foot trailer in Minneapolis for about three years before purchasing a home near Orchard Gardens along with 13 acres of land that had lots of room for kids to play. They lived there until Elmo retired from the Navy and they decided to go farming. They bought her family farm on Twin Ridge near Houston and farmed for many years and raised their family. One of the crops they raised on the farm was tobacco, which Avis had also helped with when she was growing up on the farm. They remained on Twin Ridge until 2017 when they moved to Heritage Court assisted living in Houston.
Avis was active with many things with her family, including Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H and school activities. She sewed most of her kids' clothes, did embroidery, and washed a lot of diapers. Elmo had a large garden and Avis worked hard every fall canning hundreds of pints and quarts of fruits, vegetables, pickles, jams and jellies. She belonged to the Yucatan Homemakers group, Legion Auxiliary, and a ladies circle at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church.
After her children had all left home Avis & Elmo started square dancing with the Houston Valley Twirlers and LaCrosse Happy Twirlers and spent many happy hours driving all over the tri-state area dancing 3 or 4 nights a week. She also enjoyed using her metal detector, studying family history, learning to use a computer, playing scrabble, playing dominos, and collecting baseball cards with her grandsons, and she loved eating ice cream! They also started attending Elmo's Navy reunions and drove all over the country seeing the sights while attending these reunions. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Avis is survived by her husband, Elmo, and six children, Gary (Marlys), Fridley, MN; Jean, St Paul; Mary (Mike) Rediske, Hokah; Steven, Rochester; Allan, Houston; and Roger (Julie Ott), LaCrosse; 16 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; one brother, Verdale (Marcia) Gaustad, Rochester; in-laws Paul Wojahn, Harry (Ruth) Wojahn, Arlene Skolberg, Helen (Robert) Schroeder, Myra (Rodney) Damm, and Luella (Gerald) Peterson; and by many nieces and nephews.
Avis was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Darryl & Donald (& wife Myra) Gaustad; in-laws Raymond & Carl (& wife Esther) Wojahn, Emy Wojahn, Lyndon Skolberg and nephews Van Johnson, Jeffrey Wojahn and Michael Damm.
In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Houston County Historical Society in Caledonia, or a charity of donor's choice.
Elmo and family would like to thank the staff Heritage Court and Gunderson Clinic for all their wonderful care, which was greatly appreciated.
A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 4, 2019 at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Houston, MN. Visitation will be held from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, August 3, 2019 at Hoff Funeral and Cremation Service in Houston, MN and one hour before the service at the church on Sunday. Burial will be in Stone Church Cemetery, Houston, MN following the service at the church.
Please share a memory of Avis at her online guest book at www.hofffuneral.com
Tributes
"I loved Avis's sense of humor and I remember watching her and my grandma joking together. Best time I had was going out with Elmo and Avis with the metal detectors when I was little. We went to a baseball field and probably just found a bunch of change, but I'll never forget it!"
"So sorry for your loss! So loved getting together with all of you when we were kids. Sending prayers for your family!"
"So sorry for your loss, Avis Wojahn's family. It is always hard to lose a loved one, but one's mother seems to be the hardest. "
"From Margaret and Elizabeth Treder Avis was a very nice person. We spent many reunions with her and her family. My father and Elmo served on the USS Hornet together, but did not know each other at that time. I am the secretary for their association and my mother helps with the mailings. I spoked to Avis one time about getting some negative feed back about one of the mailings which I publish for the members and I felt discouraged. Avis told me some encouraging words that kept me publishing the newsletter. Please accept our condolences. "
"Fond memories of square dancing with Avis & Elmo. Jim & Marcia Partridge"
"My Sympathy to All of Avis's Family...treasure the memories that all of you have of Avis and time spent with her. I am sure every family member from oldest to youngest learned many things from her.. "
"My deepest sympathy to the family of Avis! Avis will be missed."
"May God wrap His Loving arms around you Auntie Avis as you enter His Kingdom, and comfort her loved ones, Friends and Family in their time of grief. Prayer to you all. "
"I will miss Aunt Avis. Especially her sense of humor. She raised a good family (my cousins). I loved to visit with her at the table when we played dominoes when I came back to MN for reunions and when she came to WA in 2010 for my dad's 80th bday. A real spitfire. Always sharp. You'll be missed auntie A!"