Tomah Journal - Obituaries

Vernon Oftedahl

Vernon Oftedahl

Vernon Oftedahl, age 96, of Tomah, WI, passed away on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at the Tomah VA Hospital. He was born on July 9, 1911, to Theodore and Amelia (Skaar) Oftedahl in Stoughton, WI. He enlisted in the United States Army and served in WWII, where he received a Purple Heart.

He was united in marriage to Fern Alderson; she preceded him in death in 1989. Vern was a charter member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.

Vern played in the Fort Sheridan Army Band and at one point was conducted by Wayne King, the “Waltz King”. He was sent to Europe in 1944 and was in the Battle of the Bulge, shortly captured by Germans and sent on the Death March across Germany in December. He spent the rest of the war in prison camp. Upon returning home to his wife, son and daughter, he went to work for his father-in-law on the farm in rural Hillsboro.

He came to Tomah in 1948 and finished building his home on Monowau Street, where his family resided until 1958. He began working at the VA as a cook and later a custodian, making many friends with fellow employees and patients. He took great pride in lifting up the patients and building their self-respect. During this period, he started playing in several dance bands for area halls and weddings. He started a barbershop quartet called the Four Quarter Notes and toured in many competitions around the state; later he started a barbershop chorus at the VA. His greatest love besides his family was his love for music. He sang in his car and sang as he worked, and this spread to all those around him. He brought much joy through his music. Later, he went to numerous nursing homes presenting programs with his daughter, Sandi.

He worked hard to support his family during tough times, taking odd jobs at the “plastic factory”, rural paper delivery, and gas stations, but wherever he went he took his music with him, along with a few Norwegian jokes to lighten the burden of those around him.

Though God was always an important part of his being, his later years found him daily reading scripture from the Bible and praying for those less fortunate than himself; he kept a long, long list of truckers, friends, family, and anyone else who wanted to be on his prayer list. He would pray over this list every day. Many times he was blessed to see answers to his prayers in the testimony of his friends.

Gardening, especially flowers, was a love shared by his wife, Fern, as they toiled together for many hours in the soil of North Glendale. He was proud of his Victory garden, which won several local awards. He would come out of the house to show it to passerby; this also gave him a chance to try out another Norwegian joke or two. He became a true friend with everyone he came in contact with.

Vern was a member of the VFW and American Legion and 40 and 8. He supported the veterans organizations for 50 years by bugling for all of the Memorial Day events and funeral services in the Tomah area.

He is survived by his children, Robert (Judy) Oftedahl of Kewaunee, Sandra (Keith) Larson of Tomah and Rhonda (Duane) Zingler of Tomah; his sister, Irene Oftedahl of Tomah; grandchildren, Scott (Karen) Oftedahl of Port Washington, Karren (Jeremy) Cobble of Elkhart Lake, Lisa (Jeff) McCormick of Warrens, Scott (Brenda) Wilcox of Tomah, Brian (Donyell) Zingler and Greg (Julie) Zingler, all of Tomah; great grandchildren, Olivia, Daniel, Kaia, Meghan, Jeffrey, Isabelle, Amelia, Kayla, Laura, Adam, Braden, Carley and Bennett; nieces, nephew, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Amelia; his wife, Fern; his siblings, Earl, Edna, Anita, Lulu and Florence; and a grandson, Mark Oftedahl.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 29, at 11 a.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Tomah. Pastor William Rice will officiate. Burial will follow in the Mount Vernon Cemetery, Tomah. Family and friends are invited for visitation on Friday, March 28, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Family and friends are also invited for visitation on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of service at the church. The Torkelson Funeral Home of Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements.

Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.