Obituary of Ada Dahlsten

Ada Sophia Dahlsten, 96, of Lindsborg, passed away May 21, 2011 at Bethany Home. Ada was born November 20, 1914, the daughter of Elvira (Stromquist) and Ephraim Danielson in Fremont, Kansas. She was baptized on December 12, 1914, and confirmed on November 11, 1929 in the Freemount Lutheran Church. She lived in the Lindsborg area all her life except 1918-1923, when her family moved to Ft. Stockton, Texas. She graduated from Marquette High School as valedictorian, and attended Bethany College for two years, receiving a teacher's certificate. She taught in Daisy Hill and Fremont country schools for four school years. On May 27, 1939, she married Amos Dahlsten. They lived on a farm near Lindsborg for five years and then on a farm in the Fremont area for 40 years. In 1984, they retired and moved to Lindsborg. In 2005, she and Amos moved to Bethany Home. Ada was active in Sunday School, Junior Mission Band, and the work of the women's organizations, WELCA, and the church council. An important part of her life was the church's Bible Study group. She served as board member and vice-president of the Central States Lutheran Church Women. From 1985-89, she completed a Menninger Bible Study course. Her community activities included Galaxy Club, Extension Homemakers Unit, Senior Center Board member, Smoky Valley Historical Society, the Sveska Gruppen, and the Lindsborg Hospital Auxiliary. During her presidency of the Bethany Home Auxiliary, she together with others, began the Happy Cart, an every Friday tradition she continued for 20 years. She loved to travel, to make quilts, and afghans, to write and help present programs. She was preceded in death by two young sisters, and in June 1960, an infant daughter Brenda Karleen, in 2007 by her husband of 68 years, Amos, and by brothers and spouses Verner and Alice Danielson, and Paul and Anette Danielson, and brother Bertil Danielson. Ada is survived by four children; Lynada Johnson (David) of Columbia, MD, Larry Dahlsten (Edith) of Lindsborg, Marla Gundle of Seattle, WA, Janice Clark (Randy) of Salina, KS, eight grandchildren; Bengt Johnson (Sayuri) and Timothy Johnson (Mary Beth), Mark Dahlsten and Kim Dahlsten, Sarah Gundle and Noam Gundle, and Peter Clark and Brian Clark (Alice). There are six great grandchildren: Noah, Maja, and Ella, children of Bengt and Sayuri; Yael, child of Sarah; Mackenzie and David Lee, children of Timothy and Mary Beth. Also surviving are her sister-in-laws Memise Danielson and Jackie (Danielson) Wilson, and brother-in-law Paul and wife (Norma) Dahlsten. Visitation will be Thursday from 4-7 PM with family present from 6-7 PM at Christians Funeral Home, Lindsborg. A private family committal service will be held at Freemount Lutheran Cemetery at 10:30 AM Friday. A Celebration of Life will be held Friday at 2:00 PM at Bethany Home Chapel, Lindsborg. Memorials may be designated for Lutheran World Relief or Hospice of Kansas in care of Christians Funeral Home 103 N Washington Street P. O. Box 386 Lindsborg, KS.