Avis Mortensen

Avis Marie Mortensen was born January 2, 1930 in Des Moines, Iowa, to Burton and Lucy Kenfield Richards. She went home to her Lord and Savior on August 30, 2025. Burton was a depot agent for the Rock Island Railroad, and this job located the family in several Iowa towns including Stuart, DeSoto, Atlantic and Minden during Avis' childhood before ending in Shelby where she graduated from high school in 1948. Here she met the love of her life, Ronald. They were married on May 18, 1952 and in 1954 moved to the farm they made home north of Walnut. To this union Richard (Sue) Mortensen and Linda (Bryan) Guy were born.

Avis and Ronald were active members of the First Presbyterian Church in Walnut and also active supporters of the Walnut Community Schools and all of its activities. They were part of a close group of farm neighbors that not only pooled labor for hay making and silage cutting jobs but also shared social support.

After high school Avis worked in the Farmer's Savings Bank in Shelby. She was a devoted farm wife and homemaker and always raised and harvested a large garden as one of the many ways she took care of her family. After her kids left home, she worked in housekeeping both at Peace Haven retirement home where her parents resided and at a motel in Walnut. She also worked as an election official in their home Monroe township.

After Ronald's passing in 2001, Avis turned the farm over to granddaughter Jill and husband David and lived short stints in Griswold and Walnut as well as several years in Atlantic. Recently she resided at Peace Haven in Walnut and Allen Place in Atlantic.

Avis was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 49 years, Ronald, his 4 brothers and 1 sister as well as their spouses and grandson David Mortensen.

She is survived by her son Richard (Sue) Mortensen and their children Brad (Lori) Mortensen and Jenny (Brennan) Nassiff and her daughter Linda (Bryan) Guy and children Jill (David) Niklasen and Alan (Maegan) Linden. She is also survived by great grandchildren Zade (Erin), Aspen and Tate Niklasen, Hawk and Zuzu Linden, Beckham, Jackson and Harper Mortensen and Fletcher, Everly, Selah and Paisley Nassiff.