Edna T. Snell

Edna T. Snell, 92, of Mason City, died Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010, at Good Shepherd Health Center. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 13, at Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church, 3906 Bluebill Ave., Joice, Iowa, with the Rev. Kevin Olson officiating. Interment will be at the Bethel Lutheran Brethren Cemetery in Joice. A time of fellowship will follow the services. Visitation will be from 6:00 PM 8:00 PM on Friday (November 12, 2010) at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue. Memorials may be directed to the Edna T. Snell Memorial Fund, in care of the family. The youngest of four children, Edna Theressa Tweed was born on December 5, 1917, to Tarjei (Tom) and Turi Stoyl Tweed in rural Joice, Iowa. Both her parents were born in Treungen, Norway and immigrated to the United States, settling in the Joice area with many others from their community in Norway. Edna spoke Norwegian at home and learned English in public school. The close Norwegian community was an important part of her life. She was a founding member of the Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church, where she was baptized, confirmed and married. She was valedictorian of the 1935 graduating class of Joice High School and moved to Mason City after graduation. She graduated from Hamilton Business College in 1939 and worked as a secretary at State Farm Insurance and as business manager of Holsum Bread Bakery in Mason City. As a young adult, she played guitar, harmonica and sang in a string band that performed at many area churches. She married Morris A. Snell on July 25, 1951. He served in the U.S. Air Force until he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the age of 27. They farmed in Rock Falls, Iowa for five years until the disease made it impossible for Morris to continue farming. They then moved to Mason City with their three young children, and Edna lived there for the rest of her life. Edna cared for Morris for over 40 years with loving devotion and great spiritual strength. She had many friends that she valued deeply, including those from Grace Baptist (Mason City) and Bethel (Joice) Churches, her Bible study groups and her home business. She often visited her sister, brother, cousins and friends in Joice, making sure her children were part of the warm community in which she grew up. She also shared her deep love of music and nature with her children. She enjoyed mathematics, healthy food and daily walks. She loved playing the piano and guitar and spending time with her children, grandchildren, family and friends. We loved her very much. She is survived by her children: Linda (Michael) Gibson of Mason City and their children, Richard, Caroline and Thomas; Carol (Michael) Snell-Feikema of Brookings, South Dakota and their children, Micah, Teresa, Moses, Isaiah, Rafael and Maria; David (Dee) Snell Tvedt of Eugene, Oregon and their children, Megan, Ryan and Keenan; as well as her sister-in-laws, Bonnie Bergman, Shirley Snell and Sammie Snell and her brother-in-law, Dale Palmerton. She is preceded in death by her parents, her spouse Morris on November 10, 1993, and her siblings: Jemima Hansen, Ernest Tweed and LeRoy Tweed.

Memorials:
Memorials may be directed to the Edna T. Snell Memorial Fund, in care of the family

Cemetery:
Interment will be at the Bethel Lutheran Brethren Cemetery in Joice

Visitation:
Visitation will be from 6:00 PM 8:00 PM on Friday (November 12, 2010) at Major Erickson Funeral Home

Service:
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 13, at Bethel Lutheran Brethren Church, 3906 Bluebill Ave., Joice, Iowa