Geneva Sturman

Geneva Sturman, age 84, of Gonvick, MN, passed away on Tuesday, September 24th, at Fair Meadow Nursing Home in Fertile, MN. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, September 30th, at the Carlin Funeral Home in Fosston with Jeanne Rains officiating. Interment will be in Bethlehem Cemetery, rural Gonvick. Family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service on Monday at the funeral home. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Fosston and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society.

Geneva Winifred Bixel was born on August 30, 1940, in Bluffton, Ohio to parents Stanley and Edith (Burkholder) Bixel. She went to school at Pandora-Gilboa High School, graduating in 1958. After high school, she attended LPN training in Philadelphia. 

Geneva was united in marriage to David Robert Sturman on August 24, 1963, in Ebenezer Mennonite Church near Bluffton. They started their family and farmed in Eaton Rapids, Michigan. While they lived in Michigan, their five children were born, Howard, JoAnn, Shirley, Lillian, and Janet. 

In 1973, the family moved to a farm they had purchased in rural Gonvick in Eden Township. Here they raised their family and dairy farmed for the next 23 years. They sold the cows in January of 1996. At that time, both Geneva and David got jobs at the ODC in Thief River Falls and worked there for 13 years. Then, Geneva worked for North Star Farms (a horseradish farm) north of Clearbrook for over 12 years until her retirement.

Geneva liked puzzles, reading books, baking, and celebrating Holidays with family. She was devoted to her family and volunteered as 4-H Leader (Eden Aces) for several years. 

Survivors include her husband of 61 years, David, of Gonvick; four children, Howard (Nancy) of Tenstrike, MN, JoAnn of Moorhead, MN, Shirley of Moorhead, MN, and Lillian (Chris) Bubser of Minneapolis, MN; eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren; son-in-law, Brian Mrugala of Maple Grove, MN; one sister, Gladyce Loewen of Bloomington, IL; and sister-in-law, Ruth Bixel of Bluffton, OH. Nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.

 She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Janet; three brothers and one sister.