Dena Umland

Hills, MN Dena Umland, age 92 of Hills, MN died Friday, January 15, 2010 at the Tuff Memorial Home of Hills. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Tuesday, January 19th at The Reformed Church of Steen in Steen, MN, with Rev. Dan Kuik officiating. Burial will follow at Eastside Cemetery, rural Steen. Visitation will be Monday, January 18th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with family present from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills. Dena Umland was born September 03, 1917 south east of Lester, Iowa, the daughter of Henry and Wilhelmina Minnie (Mouw) Fikse. She was baptized at the Steen Reformed Church. She was raised on a farm in Lyon County until age 10, when her family moved to a farm south of Steen, MN. She attended country school and helped with chores on the family farm. On February 9, 1938, Dena married Alfred Van Wyhe in Steen, MN. The couple lived and farmed east of Hills, MN and four children were blessed to this union. After ten years of marriage Denas husband was diagnosed with M.S.. They continued to farm for the next several years and also care for their nephew, Bert Van Wyhe. In 1962 they moved to Hills and Dena worked as a nurses aid for 19 years and continued to care for her husband. Alfred died on February 20, 1973, after 35 years of marriage. On March 26, 1983, Dena married Albert Umland at The Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA. For several years Dena and Albert were active with RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program), the Tuff Home Auxiliary and enjoyed many memorable trips. On March 31, 1995 Albert died after 12 years of marriage. Dena was a lifelong member of The Steen Reformed Church, active with various church activities. She enjoyed flowers, especially violets, gardening, canning, crocheting and playing board games. She was especially proud of her children and grandchildren. On February 9, 2005, Dena entered the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, MN and remained there until this past Friday, January 15, 2010. Her family will remember their mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister as a loving, strong woman with an unwavering faith. Left to cherish her memory is her daughter, Carol (husband, Ed) Gehrke of Hills, MN; seven grandchildren, Stan (wife, Deb) Van Wyhe of Hills, MN, Sandy (husband, Bo) Connell of Cambridge, MN, Starla (husband, Rod) Scholten of Hills, MN, Alan (wife, Erin) Gehrke of Garretson, SD, Arlyn (wife, Kim) Gehrke of Beaver Creek, MN, Jerod (wife, Renita) Enninga of Luverne, MN and Crystal (husband, Myron) Trejo of Luverne, MN; twelve great grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Dick (wife, Alberta) Fikse of Viborg, SD and Andrew (wife, Bertha) Fikse of Woodstock, MN; a sister, Henrietta Etta De Jongh of Hills, MN; daughter-in-law, Sally Van Wyhe of Hills, MN; son-in-law, Cliff Enninga of Luverne, MN; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Wilhelmina Fikse; her first husband, Alfred Van Wyhe; her second husband, Albert Umland; two sons, Marion Van Wyhe and Harvey Van Wyhe; and a daughter, Alcee Enninga.