Leola G. Snell

MASON CITY: Leola Gelaine (Kaasa) Snell, 93, of Mason City, died Sunday, August 3, 2014 at the Good Shepherd Health Center. Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Thursday, August 7, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 213 N. Pennsylvania Avenue with Pastor Kathy Graves officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to services Thursday at the church. Memorials may be directed to Women of Trinity. Leola was born September 1, 1920, to Abel and Carrie (Hendrickson) Kaasa in Hanlontown, Iowa. She graduated from Hanlontown High School in 1939. Leola played snare drum and marched in the first North Iowa Band Festival. She attended LaJames Beauty College. She loved dancing and met her husband E.W. (Bill) Snell at the Surf Ballroom. They married March 3, 1940, and even celebrated their fiftieth anniversary with a dance at the Surf! She worked at Bergo’s and ran the Soundex machine at Park Hospital and Clinic. Leola was a long time member of Trinity Lutheran Church joining in the 1940s. While at Trinity, she enjoyed her circle and the friends she made there. She was very proud of her Norwegian heritage and tried hard to get her family to enjoy lutefisk. In retirement, Leola and Bill traveled to many countries. They spent fourteen winters together in Arizona. Leola loved to do china painting. Her grandchildren remember her for birthday cakes, making Christmas cookies, playing games like UNO and sending birthday cards containing a stick of gum. Leola loved family, friends, and flowers. While a resident at Good Shepherd, she enjoyed Bingo and loved giving the stuffed animals she won to her great grandchildren. Music therapy was also a favorite activity. Leola is survived by her three children, Patricia (Dr. Keith) Colwell, Clear Lake and Green Valley AZ; Judy Deines, Northfield, MN; Dr. Mick (Carol) Snell, Hampton, IA. Grandchildren are Kent (Mamie) Colwell, Carrie (Steve) Belknap, Chad Colwell, Ben Deines, Joe (Becky) Deines, Sarah (Pastor Dan) Forsgren, Dr. Ryan (Sarah) Snell, and Jared (Serah) Snell. Great grandchildren are Kace Colwell; Jordan, Wesley, and Luke Belknap, Autumn and Abel Deines, Donny, Karis and William Forsgren, Soren and Elsa Snell. Other survivors include brother-in law Gilman Trostheim, nieces Cheryl Swanson, Vickie Hagen, and Rosetta Todd and nephews Larry and Steve Trostheim. Leola was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Kermit and Bert Kaasa, sister, Burnette Trostheim, husband Bill Snell, son-in-law Pastor Don Deines, and special friend Wayne Chamberlin.