Nyla Stearns
Nyla Lea Stearns, 91, Luverne, died Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, at the Adrian Country Living Cottage in Adrian.
A funeral service was Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the First Baptist Church in Luverne. Burial was at the Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
Nyla Lea Kleine was born July 22, 1924, in Magnolia Township, rural Rock County, to Earnest and Myrtle (Lehmann) Kleine. She attended country school in rural Magnolia. Nyla moved out to California and worked for Lockheed Airplane Company during World War II. She later returned to Luverne.
On March 30, 1946, Nyla married Joel Stearns at the First Baptist Church in Luverne. The couple farmed in Rock County. In 1970 the couple moved to Luverne, where they owned and operated Al’s Grocery & Gas. In 1983 they moved to the Stearns family homestead east of Luverne.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Luverne and was very active in the Luverne Senior Citizens where she volunteered many hours. She enjoyed gardening, crocheting, puzzles and board games, especially Scrabble and Yahtzee.
Nyla is survived by seven children, Ruth (Rolly) Johnson of Tyler, Edward Stearns, David (Diane) Stearns, and Walter (Kathe) Stearns, all of Luverne, Nancy (Daniel) Blomgren, Clear Lake, Susan (Bob) Egan, Adrian, and Carol (Ken) Seumalo, Redlands, California; 16 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Dallas Kleine, Bullhead City, Arizona, and Thomas (Penny) Kleine, Summerville, South Carolina; and four sisters, Joyce (Glen) Hawes, Mission, Texas, Mildred (John) Steece, and Mary (Floyd) Kraetsch, all of Luverne, and Janis Glapa, Menomonee, Wisconsin.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joel, in 1996; a grandson, Casey Egan; four brothers, Rodney, William, Donald, and Louis; and six sisters, Marian, Margaret, Evelyn, Barbara, Helen and Patty.
Arrangements were by Dingmann Funeral Home of Luverne, dingmannandsons.com.
(1022 F)