Mrs. Kari Westby, Pioneer Mother, Dies on Sunday
Funeral services for Mrs. Kari Westby, pioneer resident of Blue Grass community who passed away Sunday, will be conducted this (Thursday) afternoonat 2 o'clock in the Blue Grass Lutheran church. Mrs. Westby passed away Sunday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Herman Jordahl, north of Verndale, after an illness of six months of a heart ailment. She was 85 years and 20 days of age.
Rev. O. J. Haukness will officiate at the last rites today, and music will be with Mrs. Duane Forsdberg of Blue Grass as organist. Songs to be sung are "Safe In the Arms of Jesus," "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" and a Scandinavian hymn.
Interment will be in the Lutheran cemetery at Blue Grass with John Olson, Willie Johnson, Herb Johnson, Art johnson, Herman Hansen and Guy Olson serving as pallbearers.
Mrs. Westby, a daughter of Halvor Jonsen Sjoli Vestby and Kersti Pedersdatter Bakken, was born on July 25, 1864 in Trysil, Norway. She grew to womanhood in her native land and was married there in 1884, to Halvor Torgelsen Ronnigen Westby, who preceded her in death in October, 1942.
For many years after coming to this country, the family lived in the Blue Grass community, and she was a charter member of the Lutheran church congregation. She is survived by 10 children, who are THEODORE Westby of Seattle, Wash., Mrs. Martin Olson (CHRISTINE) of Effie, Minn., Mrs. T. J. Grotte (HILDA) of Scobie, Montana, HENRY westby of Effie, Minn., Mrs. Albert Kautz (EDNA) of Wadena, HJALMER Westby and INGWALD Westby of Sebeka, Mrs. Herman Jordahl (OLGA) of Verndale, and Mrs. Hjalmer Lundberg (THINA) of Oakland, California.
Friends may call at the Wadena Funeral home until noon Thursday, and at the Blue Grass Lutheran church after 1 p.m. [Wadena Pioneer Journal 8/8/1949]