Esther O. Iverson


Esther O. Iverson, a resident of Southbury, CT died on November 6 following a short illness. She was 101 years old.

Mrs. Iverson was born in 1905 in Benson, MN of Norwegian immigrant parents. She received her B.A. degree from Saint Olaf College in Northfield, MN in 1927.

Mrs. Iverson taught high school English in Barnsville, MN for two years. In 1930 she was married to Albert Iverson, a classmate from Saint Olaf and an ordained Lutheran minister. The couple moved to Heron Lake, Minnesota where Rev Dr. Iverson was pastor of the Lutheran church. They later lived in Sacred Heart, MN and Minneapolis, MN. Mrs. Iverson served as organist in several churches, choir director, PTA committee member and hospital volunteer.

Dr. and Mrs. Iverson moved to Chappaqua, NY in 1947 and to Princeton, NJ in 1954 in conjunction with Dr. Iverson's position as Director of the Relationships Division of the Boy Scouts of America. Following 38 years in Princeton, the couple moved to East Hill Woods, a life care facility in Southbury Ct. in 1992. Both Dr. and Mrs. Iverson were first generation Americans and were very proud of their Norwegian roots. Dr. Iverson died in 1997.

Throughout her lifetime, Mrs. Iverson was an accomplished seamstress. She created many beautiful embroidered wall hangings and quilts. In her later years, Mrs. Iverson maintained an extremely sharp mind and thoroughly enjoyed a good joke or puzzle. She had clear memories of such things as Teddy Roosevelt's greeting to her as he barnstormed by train through Minnesota or her family's finding space on one of the last ships leaving Norway prior to the onset of World War I in 1914.

She is survived by a son John Iverson and his wife Linda of Newport, RI and Bonita Springs, FL, two daughters, Constance McLaughlin and her husband Frank Wolf of Maryville, TN. and Karen Junker and her husband Chris of Fairport, NY, six grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

Funeral services will be held graveside at the Princeton cemetery, Princeton, NJ on Saturday, November 11th at 11am.

Contributions may be made to Saint Olaf College, 1520 Saint Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057(attn. Beth Coneaux) "in memory of Esther and Albert Iverson". The Southbury Funeral Home of Munson - Lovetere, 235 Main St. North, is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials: Contributions may be made to Saint Olaf College, 1520 Saint Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057(attn. Beth Coneaux) "in memory of Esther and Albert Iverson".

Location: Munson-Lovetere Woodbury

Funeral: Church Not Applicable

Services: Funeral services will be held graveside at the Princeton cemetery, Princeton, NJ on Saturday, November 11th at 11am.

Visitation: There are no calling hours.