Harriet Ness

Harriet M. Ness, 87, of Wolverton, MN passed away peacefully at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, on February 11, 2017. She had been living in Sioux Falls with family for most of the past two years.

Harriet Mae Ness was born on May 19, 1929, to Ole and Ella Edwards. She often joked that she brought on the Great Depression. Harriet was one of 14 children born to Ole and Ella who lived in the rural Comstock and Wolverton area. She attended Wolverton High School where she met her future husband, Ivan W. Ness.

Harriet attended Dakota Business College in Fargo, ND, and worked for Smith Inc., the Fargo Water Department and AB Dick. On December 30, 1950, she married Ivan and the couple lived in Fargo for a time before settling in Wolverton.

In 1966, the couple welcomed their only child, Timothy, and Harriet retired from working outside the home to concentrate on raising their son and helping Ivan on the family farm. They moved to the family farm in 1969 where she resided for the rest of her life.

Harriet was an enthusiastic supporter of her husband and son as they pursued roles in the community and athletic endeavors. Without her support, it is doubtful as to whether Ivan would have served on his many boards and her son would have pursued other sports activities. Harriet received honorary recognition for her work with Wolverton's little league baseball team, often waking children to play ball and driving them to the games.

She was an enthusiastic worker for the Ladies Aid, stocking up on cake mixes in case called upon for weddings and funerals. Her main role with Faith Lutheran Church was as an unofficial secretary who prepared the church bulletins and annual reports for Pastor Ted Peterson.

In October of 2009, her husband, Ivan, passed away and she continued living on the family farm. As a memorial to her husband, she had the farm house sided and new windows installed. In November of 2014, Harriet moved south to winter with her son and his wife, Mona, but returned to the farm in the summer of 2015. In November of 2015, she once again stayed the winter in Sioux Falls but, on April 15 of 2016, she had a stroke and heart attack. Harriet recovered and continued to live with her family until November of 2016, when she moved to Trail Ridge Senior Living.

She is survived by her son, Timothy, and his wife, Mona; sisters, Norma Janke, Clarice Hughes, Grace Ellis, Agnes Cook; brothers, Lloyd Edwards, Orville Edwards, Earl (Barney) Edwards; brother-in-law, John Ness; and sister-in-law, Anne Olsgaard; and many nephews and nieces.

A visitation for Harriet will be one hour prior to her funeral service.

Her Funeral Service will be Saturday, February 25, 2017, at 11 AM, in Faith Lutheran Church, Wolverton.

Burial will be in Faith Lutheran Cemetery, rural Wolverton.

(Korsmo Funeral Service, Moorhead, MN)