Sylvia (Norberg) Tollefson, 78, of Clearbrook, formerly of Leonard, died on Friday, March 17, 2006, at her apartment in the Brookfield Apartments in Clearbrook.
A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Leonard with Rev. Dan Bowman officiating. A visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. today at the Cease Family Funeral Home of Bagley and one hour prior to the service on Wednesday at the church. Burial will be in East Zion Cemetery in Leonard.
She was born on Feb. 24, 1928, to Martin and Leetha Norberg, in Bemidji. She attended the Pleasant Valley School near Puposky and graduated from Bemidji High School in 1946. She attended the Lutheran Bible Institute graduating in 1948. After graduation she worked in Fargo at the House of Mercy, a home for unwed mothers. She later moved back to Bagley and worked as a nurse's aide at the Bagley Hospital.
She married Milton Tollefson in 1954 and they lived in Leonard. He died in 1982. She worked at Strand's Store in Leonard taking over ownership when Ernie Strand died. She operated the store until retiring in 1991. In 2002, she moved to the Brookfield Apartments in Clearbrook.
She loved to bake and was known for her fine donuts. She held many offices in her church, served on the Leonard City Council and was active as a 4-H leader.
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She is survived by her children, Conrad Tollefson of Leonard, Duane (Deborah) Tollefson of Leonard, Debbie Rentz of Eagan, Minn., Carrie (Sam) Rairdon of Salol, Minn., and Tracy Tollefson of Leonard; sisters, Bea Fredrickson of Bagley and Dorothy (Lowell) Rosnau of Brainerd, Minn.; 31 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews and two aunts.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sister, Lucille Hovland; brother, Martin (Buddy) Norberg; and an infant brother, Paul.
