Ellen Kleven

Ellen Kleven, 92, of Roslyn died Thursday, June 12, 2008 at the Strand-Kjorsvig Community Rest Home, Roslyn. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 16th at Fron Lutheran Church near Roslyn, with Reverend James Olson officiating. Music will be provided by June Johnson, organist, with vocal music by Joseph Bosmoe & Wesley Monshaugen. Scripture was read by Gary Johnson. Casket bearers wil be grandchildren, Douglas Jensen, Todd Kleven, and Bradley Nickelson, Tom Sannes, Teresa Kleven, and Patty Ogren. Honorary pallbearers will be Perceival Monson, Elwood Monson, Arlen Grorud, Garry Grorud, Larry Okroi, Edward Blank, and Gary Johnson. Burial will be at the Fron Lutheran cemetery. Ellen Augusta Sorenson was the third child of Albert and Julia (Lisa Opsahl) Sorenson, Roslyn. She was born on August 6, 1915 at the farm home in Liberty Township, Day County, South Dakota. Ellen was baptized at Fron Lutheran Church, and confirmed there in 1928. She was a lifelong member of the congregation. She served the church as treasurer for a number of years. She was active in Ladies Aid, and assisted with many events and functions such as compiling historical information for anniversary celebrations. Ellen attended Liberty Township 124 country school. She worked for room and board while attending high school, and did summer jobs such as assisting the cook on a road construction crew. She graduated from Webster High School in 1933. After graduation she worked for Happe’s Candy Kitchen and also served several families in the area. In the late thirties she lived in Chicago, where she worked for the Utley family as a cook and caregiver to the young Garrick Utley and also attended business college. On May 25, 1941 Ellen married Hjalmer Kleven of Roslyn. They lived on the “Smedstad Place” for the first several years of their marriage, and then moved to the Sorenson family farm in Liberty Township where they farmed for 36 years. They retired from farming in 1977 and moved to Roslyn. Mr. Kleven passed away on October 1, 1999. Over the years, Ellen assisted her father in preparing tax returns, baked and sold lefse on a regular basis, and also worked at the Creamery and the Strand-Kjorsvig Community Rest Home in Roslyn. Ellen was one of the founding members of the “Birthday Club”, which continued for 56 years, and was also a member of the Study Club and Garden Club. She enjoyed visiting with friends, playing cards, reading, gardening and playing the piano. She sewed and hand-stitched many quilts and did other handiwork such as Hardanger embroidery, making “Raggedy Ann” and apple head dolls, knitting and crocheting. After retirement she began rosemaling and painting ducks—her favorite. Family members Ellen leaves to celebrate her life include a son, Howard (Connie) Kleven, Elk River, MN; four daughters, Jeanette (James) Daines, Menomonie, WI; Judith (Richard) Kleven, Ham Lake, MN; Joy (Keith) Jensen, Langford; and Susan (Richard) Nickelson, East Grand Forks, MN; 13 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren; two sisters, Evelyn Mietzner of Bloomington, MN and Clarice Hutcheons, Sacramento, CA; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, four sisters, one brother, one granddaughter, and one great-grandson.