Funeral services for Stewart Gustafson, 90, of Aurelia, formerly of Alta, will be held Saturday, December 3, 2016, at 10:30 A.M. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Alta, with Pastor Denise Parrello officiating. Burial will be in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Aurelia. Visitation will be Friday, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M., at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Alta. The Redig Funeral Home in Aurelia is in charge of the arrangements.
Alf Stewart Gustafson was born June 27, 1926 the son of August and Augusta (Johnson) Gustafson three miles south of Aurelia, IA. He graduated from the Aurelia High School in 1945. After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Marines Corp in 1946, and was honorably discharged in 1948. While in the Marines he served on the troop ship USS George Clymer, and participated in the Pacific Fleet maneuvers operation Penny. He visited Sweden with his family in 1930 for six months. He was proud of his Swedish heritage, spoke Swedish fluently to his family and friends, and was able to visit relatives many times in Sweden throughout his life.
On April 19th, 1952 Stewart was united in marriage to Edith Bernice Carlson at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Alta. To this union one daughter, Denise, was born. Stewart was a farmer and farmed south of Aurelia for many years. He enjoyed high school football, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Iowa State Cyclones. He loved to go to Sunday night dances with friends, playing cards, and having coffee at HyVee in Storm Lake. He was an active member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Alta serving on the church council and working on the elevator project at the church. He was a member of the Grashoff-McManus American Legion Post #390 of Aurelia.
Stewart married Juanita Hinkeldey on August 1, 1997 at the St. John Lutheran Church in Hanover. After Juanita’s death Stewart moved into Welcov in Alta. On September 30th, 2016 due to declining health Stewart became a resident at the Sunset Knoll Nursing and Rehab Center in Aurelia where he passed away on November 29, 2016.
Preceding Stewart in death were his parents, his two wives; Edith on May 7, 1996 and Juanita on May 5, 2010, two sisters; Myrtle Gustafson and Gladys Fogelman, and two brothers; Ritzel Bert Gustafson and John Rune Gustafson.
Survivors are his daughter, Denise and her husband Greyling Fredericksen of Aurelia, three grandchildren; Curt and his wife Rachel Fredericksen of Dakota Dunes, SD, Christa and her husband Craig Kennedy of North Sioux City, and Matthew and Traci Fredericksen of Aurelia, and four great-grand-children; Alexa, Emma, Bryson, and Ali. Also surviving are three step-children; Jaclyn and Jim Narwold of Brown Deer, WI, Dave and Janeen Hinkeldey of Aurelia, and Laurie and Mark Gustafson of Palm Desert, CA, ten step-grandchildren, fifteen step-great-grandchildren, one sister-in-law, Shirley Gustafson of Alta, one brother-in-law, Chuck and Doris Carlson of Cherokee, nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.