Mildred Stensland

Larchwood, Iowa

     Mildred Stensland, age 96, of Larchwood, Iowa, died on Friday, March 29, 2024, at the Dougherty Hospice House at Sioux Falls, SD.

     Visitation will be Wednesday, April 3, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM with the family present at the United Church of Christ at Larchwood, IA.

     Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Thursday, April 4, 2024, at the United Church of Christ at Larchwood, IA with Pastor Tim Voigt officiating.  Burial will follow at Larchwood Cemetery at Larchwood, IA.

     Mildred (Gildemeister) Stensland was born on January 23, 1928 in Sioux Falls to Ernest and Anna (Kahrs) Gildemeister. She was the fourth of Ernest and Anna's eight children. Mildred attended Washington High School until her junior year when she started working to support the family after her father's illness. She worked at JCPenney's in various positions until she began a job at Northwest Bell Telephone company as an operator.  On November 7, 1948, Mildred married Marlo Stensland. Marlo and Mildred were steadfast companions to one another through all 74 years of their marriage. After farming for the first few years of their married lives, Marlo and Mildred moved to Sioux Falls, SD to continue raising their three daughters: Barb, Nancy, and Elaine. During this time, Mildred returned to working at Northwest Bell, eventually moving into Human Resources. She worked at Northwest Bell for 28 years before retiring at age 57. During her years in Sioux Falls, she also became a favorite babysitter to her special nieces Lori and Dawn Van Liere.  After retiring, Mildred and Marlo moved to Larchwood, IA. During her retirement, she enjoyed meeting up with her former coworkers for coffee, spending time with her siblings, Helen and Harvey in Sioux Falls each week, dining out with Marlo every weekend, and attending church at the Larchwood United Church of Christ.  What Mildred most loved was attending her eight grandchildren's different activities. She would travel out to school, to away games, and even to State Championship games to support them and cheer them on. She was also known to get very nervous watching them, especially her wrestling grandkids! Her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other close family and friends will remember her home as a place full of treats, many holiday decorations, and, mostly, as a place that holds countless memories of unconditional and extravagant love. Mildred was known for her many, many nicknames (Millie, Mildy, Mony, and, most popularly, Mickey) which is indicative of the many different lives she touched.  In her last years, Mildred remained a loyal and doting wife to Marlo, who she insisted remain at home where she could care for him in his last days, even though she herself was 95 years old at the time. Mildred still cherished every moment spent with family and friends who loved to visit her home, but was eager to be with Marlo again. Her family is grateful they are reunited.

     Left to cherish her memory are her three daughters Barb (Jerry) Maurer, Nancy (Don) Eiesland, and Elaine Snyders, all of Larchwood; sister Helen Van Liere; brother-in-law Art Stensland; 8 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

     She was preceded in death by her husband Marlo; her parents, Ernest and Anna Gildemeister; brothers Heine, Helmuth, Gunther, and Harvey; sisters Elfreida and Margaret; and sons-in-law Ralph VanDenHul and David Snyders.