Crystal - Malva Josephina Mehegan, 89, died Sunday, March 30, 1997, at Crystal Care Center in Crystal. Graveside services were held Wednesday, April 2, at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Malva was born to Rasinus A. and Laura Sophia Nesvold Gausen on September 13, 1907, in township, Pennington County, where she resided with her family until they moved to Thief River Falls where Malva graduated from Lincoln High School. She was the oldest of the six Gausen children.
Malva moved to Minneapolis and made her home on Stevens Avenue until 1975 when she was placed in Crystal Care Center, Crystal.
She is survived by one son, Arnold R. Ahlsted and wife, Marjorie, their two children and five grandchildren in Norfolk, VA, and one daughter, Wanda Lea Archer Weller, husband Donald, their three daughters, Denise, Dana and Debbie of Elk River; sisters-in-laws, Mrs. Esther Gausen of Thief River Falls, and Mrs. Ruth Jones of Goodridge, five neices, five nephews, 15 great neices and nephews, and 14 great-great neices and great-great nephews in Minnesota, California, Colorado, Florida, New Hampshire, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
Malva was preceded in death by her father and mother, sisters Linda, Alpha and Norma, her brothers Martin and Andreas, and her husband Francis William (Mac) Mehegan who died in 1963.
The passing of Mrs. Mehegan marks the end of one of the original founding families of the Silverton Lutheran Church in Pennington County.