Ragna Steile

Ragna Steile, age 95, of Gully, MN, went home to be with her Lord surrounded by her family on Monday (September 15th) at First Care Nursing Home in Fosston under care of hospice. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday (September 19th) at Lund Lutheran Church in Gully with Pastors Alan Arneson, Michael Sletto and Gary Johnson officiating. Interment will be in Lund Lutheran Cemetery, rural Gully. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service on Thursday (September 18th) at the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home in Fosston. There will also be reviewal for one hour prior to the service on Friday at the church. Arrangements are with the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home of Fosston and messages of condolence may be sent at www.carlinhoialmen.com.Ragna Oline Qually was born on November 14, 1912 to Olav and Ragnhild Bratteland Kvaale (Qually) in Johnson Township Gully, Mn on the family farm. Ragna's parents were Norwegian immigrants who had settled north of Gully. She attended grade school in the log, one room Poplar Isle School as well as in District 241, Strande School. Later, she went to Gully High School. She then attended Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis for one year. During her time in Minneapolis, Ragna worked as a housekeeper, a nurse's aide at the Swedish Hospital, and also for a publishing company called Northwestern Press. She attributed her knowledge of modern housekeeping skills to her experience as a housekeeper in Minneapolis. In order to help her mother raise several grandchildren, Ragna returned home to the family farm. She always wished she could have stayed in Minneapolis and continued her education. However, this move turned out to be better than she had thought as this is where she was to meet and marry the love of her life. Ragna was united in marriage to Harold Melvin Steile, a young man also from north of Gully, on October 20, 1937 at Lund Church in Gully. Harold and Ragna raised 4 children; Ronald, Dianne, Darlene, and Richard. Ragna always grew a large and well tended garden along with helping Harold on the farm. She had nightly devotions with her children, which they still remember fondly. Ragna served many years in the WELCA of Lund, taught Sunday school, served in the PTA, belonged to the birthday club, and was a wonderful hostess to one and all. She loved to cook and entertain in her home and made it look so easy. In 1978 Ragna and Harold started building their retirement home across the road on the Bennie Anderson Farm. They had only lived there 3 months before Harold passed away in July 1979. She lived several places after this and finally settled in Fosston where she spent many years. In Fosston she attended Calvary Free Lutheran Church, was active in the Embassy, bible studies, and Singles Christian Fellowship Club. Ragna enjoyed reading, writing poetry, and kept a journal since 1946. She was an avid writer leaving precious written memories for all to share. Later on, she became talented in rosemaling and left many pieces for her family to cherish for years to come. Ragna went home to be with her Lord surrounded by her family on Monday, September 15, 2008 at First Care Nursing Home in Fosston under care of hospice at the age of 95 years.Left to celebrate her life and hold her memory close to their hearts are her children: Ronald (Sonja) Steile of Trail, MN, Dianne (Arden) Buchholz of Halstad, MN, Darlene (Dan) Alsup of Plymouth, MN, and Rick (Sandy) Steile of Silver Lake, MN; her grandchildren, Denise (Scott) Hoeft, Bo (Arden) Fowler, Aaron (Melinda) Buchholz, Jill (Jeff) Kyong-McClain, Cara (Doug) Lawrence, Huy (Dung) Le, Tuan (Thuy) Le, Hong-Van (David) Wamsley, John Alsup, Amy Alsup, Richard Alsup, Sarah Alsup, Michelle (Jeremy) Goudge, Kristopher Steile, Tiana (Adam) Wick, Nicholle (Josh) Winfrey; her great grandchildren, Jessica (Wade) Robinson, Branden Hoeft, Jared Hoeft, Chad Hoeft, Ryan Hoeft, Derrick Finseth, Akiko Kyong-McClain, Owen Kyong-McClain, Cole Buchholz, Noah Buchholz, Lyla Lawrence, Vu Le, Vinh Le, Vi Le, Jennifer Le, Jonathan Le, Ashley Alsup, Dylan Alsup, Leyton Wick, Alexander Wick, and Alexis Winfrey; and her great-great granddaughter Flynn Janel Robinson; and one sister, Vivian Nyland of Imlay City, MI.Ragna was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Harold, five brothers, four sisters, granddaughter Janel Steile, grandson Viet Ta, great granddaughter Kristen Hoeft, and numerous nieces and nephews.We would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the hospice volunteers and the staff at Firstcare Nursing Home for showing such care and compassion over the last few months. It was greatly appreciated.Honorary Pallbearers will be all of her family and friends.Active Pallbearers will be grandsons-Aaron Buchholz, John Alsup, Richard Alsup, Kristopher Steile, Brandon Hoeft and Jared Hoeft.