Fern Margaret Ostrem

Fern Margaret (Stensland) Ostrem, age 105 of Ames, died peacefully at Israel Family Hospice House, Friday, June 28th, 2024. She was born March 17th, 1919 in Lamberton, MN to Jennie (Hausken) and Knute Stensland. The family moved 5 years later to South of Roland, IA on a family farm. She attended school at Roland.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 at Ascension Lutheran Church, 2400 Bloomington Road, Ames, Iowa 50010 at 11:00 a.m. There will be a visitation at the church one hour before the service. Immediately following the service there will be a time of food and fellowship at the church. Burial will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Jewell, Iowa at 1:30 p.m.

Fern and Nolan Ostrem were married and rented a farm outside of Jewell. 5 years later they bought a farm NE of McCallsburg. Both worked at Donnelly’s in Nevada and farmed together. They moved to Ames in 1962. Fern went to work for MGMC, first in housekeeping. She took a nurses aid course and worked as an aid for 6 years. Then she got her GED, then one year later received LPN at 51. She worked 10 years on the surgical floor at MGMC. She retired in 1980. MGMC asked her to come back and sit with confused or terminal patients. When Homeward took over the responsibility she continued for another 10 years. She was 83 when she retired again.

In all she did she strived to serve Christ. She had a sense of humor, always with a smile on her face. We will miss her. She was in church the Sunday before she passed away.

She is survived by her daughter, Janet (Dick) Wright of Ames; grandchildren, Kathleen Ostrem of Des Moines, Shelly (John) Whaley of Ames, Jason (Kim) Hambly of Vinton, IA, Shannon (Tawnya) Hambly of Long Grove, IA; Step Grandchildren, Daniel (Cathy) Wright of Gilbert, Robin Wright of Washington State; 8 Great-Grandchildren; 5 Step-Great-Grandchildren; 10 Great-Great-Grandchildren; 5 Step-Great-Great Grandchildren; and 1 Great-Great-Great Grandchild.

Fern was preceded in death by her husband, Nolan Ostrem; Son, Kenneth Ostrem; Daughter-In-Law, Gloria Ostrem; Grandson, Michael Ostrem; Her parents, Knute & Jennie Stensland; Her sisters, Hazel (Homer) Beach, Herma (Earnie) Beach, Joyce (Ed Smith) (Floyd) Dodd.

Donations may be sent to Heartland Adult Day Center, 205 South Walnut Ave, PO BOX 748, Ames, IA 50010 or to Ascension Lutheran Church, 2400 Bloomington Road, Ames, IA 50010 for the Ostrem family.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be left at www.stevensmemorialchapel.com for the Ostrem family.