Josephine Onsager

Josephine “Josie” Onsager, 91, of Waukon died Friday, June 15, 2018 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 20 at 11 a.m. at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waukon, with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call one hour before services Wednesday at the church.

Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements. Memorials may be made to Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church or to the Good Samaritan Center for the dining room remodeling project.

Josephine Ruth Onsager was born December 14, 1926 in Waukon, the daughter of Peter and Minnie (Steffenson) Olson. She was baptized and confirmed at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waukon and attended school in Waukon.

April 7, 1946, she married Arnold Irving Onsager at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon. Josie was a housewife and did daycare for many years for local families.

She was a past member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon and a member at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church, where she was very active in ladies groups when she was younger. Josie enjoyed sewing, quilting, going for rides with her husband, Arnold, and loved babies.

Survivors include her children: Elaine (Robert) Ward of Decorah, Sharon (Tom) Miller of Winfield, Ronald (Tamie) Onsager of Decorah and Arnie (Sherri) Onsager of Waukon; 10 grandchildren: Joseph (Catina) Ward, James Ward, Jennifer (Brandon) Rude, Lindsay (Kent) Thoreson, Elizabeth (Jake) Thompson, Nathan (Stacie) Onsager, Tina Onsager, Nick Onsager, Jasmine (Eric) Christensen and Michelle Campbell; 14 great-grandchildren; four sisters: Norma May of Corvallis, OR, Lillian Jahnke of Postville, Ella Mae (Allen) Goeke of Waukon and Millie Burt of Willard, MO. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Arnold, who died in 2011; a daughter, Gloria Parker; two sisters, Sylva Olson in infancy and Mavis Nelson; and two brothers, Arnold and Joseph Olson.

Honorary casketbearers were Josephine’s granddaughters. Casketbearers were Nathan and Nick Onsager, Mitchell Rude, and Kevin, Joseph and James Ward.

Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.