Alvia H. Farrar

Alvia Farrar, 85, died Sunday, December 14, 2008 at the Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home, Viborg. Funeral services will be at 10:00am Thursday, December 18, 2008 at the Hurley United Methodist Church with burial in the Hurley Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-8:00pm Wednesday without family present at Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Chapel, Hurley. Alvia Helen Petersen was born on March 5, 1923 on a farm west of Hurley, SD to Niels Christian and Katherine Marie “Mary” (Andersen) Petersen. She passed away December 14, 2008 at Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home in Viborg. She was the eleventh child of thirteen (five boys and eight girls). She graduated from Hurly High School in 1941 and following graduation worked in the office of Supt. Don Jones. Alvia attended Eastern State Normal College (DSU) in Madison and taught country school for two years near Hooker. On December 1, 1944 she was united in marriage to Gordon Maxwell Farrar at the Methodist Parsonage at Parker. They farmed the George Benson (Gordon’s grandfather) farm for three years and in 1948 moved to the Percy and Lucretia Farrar home place in Swan Lake Township. In 1984 they bought the former LaVerne Christensen farm and moved there. They moved into Hurley in 1997 following Alvia’s heart surgery and a debilitating fall. In January of 2005 she moved into the Pioneer Inn Assisted Living in Viborg and in September of 2008 she moved into the Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home. Alvia amd Gordon were married fifty nine and a half years before he passed away on August 16, 2004. Alvia was an original member of the Swan Lake Extension Club and was envied by many for her baking and cooking skills. After having raised her family she went to work for Dakota Industries at Tea serving as a supervisor, then to the Hurley plant and later the managing supervisor at Dakota Industries in Irene. She was a member of the Hurley United Methodist Church for over 60 years and received her fifty year membership pin from the Hurley United Methodist Women. They enjoyed years of square dancing with the Hurley Hoppers and made many new friends. She and Gordon were their children and grandchildrens biggest supporters at athletic events with distance never being a factor. Five children were born to Alvia and Gordon: Carol (Robert) DeNeui, Hurley, Robert (Debra) Farrar, Rapid City, Linda (George) Weber, Sioux Falls, and Greg (Karla) Farrar, Hurley, and Nancy Ann (stillborn) In addition to her children and spouses those left to cherish her memory are13 grandchildren, Michael (Kerri) DeNeui, Mitchell DeNeui, Melissa DeNeui, Melinda “Joey” (Danny) Pulscher, Kristen (Michael) Hueske, Lindsey (Jamie) Loken, David Farrar, Amy (Eric) Tieszen, Kurt (Ashley) Weber, Kevin Weber, Brad Farrar, Jessica (Doug) Lucas, and Clint Farrar; 8 great grandchildren, Holly and Seth DeNeui, Max and Madelyn Hueske, Ashley and Landon Tieszen, Austin Weber, and Dillon Lucas; and 3 step great grandchildren, Emily, Tanner, and Gannon Pulscher; a sister-in-law, Gerry Petersen, Hurley; brother-in-law, Kenny Knutson, Sioux Falls; and brother and sister-in-law Stan and Shirley Moline, Sioux Falls; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, baby daughter Nancy Ann, and 5 brothers, Edward, Chris, Harland, Marvin, and Edsel, and 7 sisters, Anna Hansen, Clara Larsen, Margie Speh, Irene Lease, Marie Gerdes, Ruby Koehler, and Lois Christensen; and a sister-in-law, Muriel Knutson Mom was a kind and gentle wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Heaven is a little nicer today because she’s home.