Virginia Bornholdt

Virginia Bornholdt, the daughter of Andrew and Emma (Degn) Swensen, was born September 3, 1919, at her parents’ home in rural Shelby County near Harlan, Iowa and died December 14, 2015, at the Exira Care Center in Exira, Iowa at the age of 96 years, 3 months, and 11 days.
Virginia was baptized and confirmed as an adult on September 19, 1946, at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church in Elk Horn, Iowa. She attended rural schools in Audubon County then worked as a hired girl for several families.
On June 16, 1941, she was united in marriage to Raymond Bornholdt in Omaha, Nebraska. They lived in Exira, Iowa until Raymond was inducted into the U.S. Army then they moved to the Army base in Louisiana. Raymond was transferred overseas and Virginia returned to Exira and helped on the family farm. Raymond was honorably discharged and they moved to Elk Horn, Iowa and Virginia was a home maker. In 1952 they moved to Audubon, Iowa. Virginia was employed as a cook at the Audubon Elementary School for several years and then transferred to the Audubon High School when the new building was finished. She also was a cook at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital during the evenings. Virginia retired after working for the school system for over thirty years. Raymond died in 1981. Virginia lived in her home in Audubon then moved to the Exira Care Center in 2013.
Virginia was a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. She always enjoyed making the coffee for all the church dinners and funeral lunches. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and belonged to several card clubs. Virginia and Raymond always had a large garden and Virginia kept busy canning all the produce from the garden. She enjoyed the many bus trips she took with her best friend Rozelle Madison. But her greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Virginia was preceded in death by her husband Raymond Bornholdt; her step great grandson Cole Clarken; her parents; her brothers and sisters Edward and wife Marjorie Swensen, Helen and husband Robert Hansen, Leona and husbands Lester Andersen and Hubert Jensen, and Gene Swensen; 9 brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law and her best friend Rozelle Madison.
Survivors include her daughters Janell and husband Gary Lowe of Humboldt, Iowa and Jolene and husband Ken Burns of Guthrie Center, Iowa; her grandchildren Rick and wife Brenda Lauritsen of Battle Creek, Nebraska, Stephanie and husband Tom Clarken of Stuart, Iowa, Marty and wife Connie Burns of Audubon, Iowa, and Traci and husband Mike Ludowise of Missouri Valley, Iowa; her great grandchildren Michael Lauritsen and Josh and wife Katrina Lauritsen all of Norfolk, Nebraska, Nicki Lauritsen of Battle Creek, Nebraska, Molly Childress of Dexter, Iowa, Zac and wife Cassie Cleveland of Bondurant, Iowa, Andrew Irlmeier of Omaha, Nebraska, Amanda Irlmeier of Missouri Valley, Iowa, Jacob Burns and Amy Burns both of Audubon, Iowa; her step-grandchildren Matthew and wife Kelsey Clarken of Webster City, Iowa, Kurt Lowe and Kevin Lowe both of Fort Dodge, Iowa and Kelly and wife Heather Lowe of Fairmont, Minnesota; 7 great great grandchildren; 6 step great great grandchildren; her sister Mary Childers of Melbourne, Florida; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Doug Opp on Friday, December 18, 2015, at 1:30 P.M. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. Interment will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery. The casket bearers will be Zac Cleveland, Andrew Irlmeier, Michael Lauritsen, Josh Lauritsen, Jacob Burns, and Andrew Hansen. The family will meet with friends Thursday evening December 17, 2015, at 5:00 P.M at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa.