Thief River Falls - Elli A. H. Tuura, 92, died Friday, May 1, 1998 at the Oakland Park Nursing Home in Thief River Falls.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 5 at 2 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Middle River with Pastor John Jorgenson officiating. Lois Peterson was the organist and a member of the trio which also included Lois Anderson and Barb Geer. Casketbearers were James Robertson, Dale Grondahl, Daryl Johnson, Mike Tuura, David Johnson, Steve Johnson and Ron Marquardt. Interment was in the Finnish Cemetery in Middle River. The Collins Funeral Home of Middle River was in charge of the arrangments.
Elli Aili Hilja Tuura, the daughter of John and Hilma (Wahaoju) Tuura, was born on August 4, 1905 in Cloquet. In 1912 she moved with her family to the Middle River community where she grew to womanhood and graduated from Middle River High School in 1923. Elli was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. She attended Duluth Teachers' College and later, college at Valley City, ND. She took her first teaching job at the age of 19. She taught in the public school system for 46 years, 28 of those years at Badger where she taught fourth grade until her retirement in 1970.
Elli taught Sunday school and sang in the choir at First Lutheran Church in Middle River. Since retirement, she has made her home on the home farm in Spruce Valley township near Middle River, for a short time at Royal Manor Apartments in Middle River and since November of 1993 at Oakland Park Nursing Home in Thief RIver Falls.
Elli is survived by five sisters, Helga of Oakland Park Nursing Home in Thief River Falls, Josephine Nordgaard of Valley City, ND, Vienna Grondahl of St. Peter, Helen (Dallas) Robertson of Norfold, NE, and Viola (Francis) Johnson of Newfolden; one brother, Arne (Ione) of Middle River; one sister-in-law, Lydia Tuura of Thief River Falls; and several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her parents; three sisters, Esther, Lempi and Laina; and one brother, Toivo.