Goldia Wendland

Memorials are preferred to the donor's choice. Goldia Agatha Louise (Maha) Wendland was born May 19, 1908 near Leavenworth, MN and died on April 26, 2009 at St. John Lutheran Home, Springfield, MN; just 22 days short of her 101st birthday. Goldy grew up on a farm near Leavenworth, the daughter of George and Caroline (Moll) Maha with 2 brothers and 2 sisters. She would ride her beloved horse, Dan, to visit a neighbor and celebrated her 17th birthday by marrying him, Henry Wendland on May 19, 1925. Together they lived on several farms and in 1934 they moved onto the farm at Dotson. There they together farmed and raised sugar cane turning it into delicious molasses. They had 14 children and raised the surviving 13 on that farm. Besides helping with milking cows, she had a huge garden and raised and sold chickens and eggs. In 1949 they moved her mother and her house from Leavenworth to the farm where she also looked after her. After Henry's death in 1956, she continued running the farm and when her mother went into St. John Lutheran Home she got a job working there also. In 1994 she sold the farm and moved into the Homestead Complex. In 2002 she moved into Cottonwood Ridge, and in 2007 into St. John Lutheran Home, all in Springfield. Over the later years, she had hip and knee replacements, mastectomy, and a tumor removed from an ear. As she put it, she wasn't getting old, her parts were just wearing out. Goldy loved learning but only went through the 8th grade and always wanted to be a teacher. So she chose to teach the preschoolers in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for 32 years along with teaching her kids. In anybody's standards, that qualifies very much as being a teacher! She is preceded in death by her parents and siblings; along with Henry and two children - Gloria and Ardelle. Her surviving children are - Sylvia (Delbert) Irwin of Arlington, TX, Ardis (Joe) Schmidt of Lake Crystal, MN, Marvin (Fern) Wendland of Springfield, MN, Myron Wendland of Mankato, Mary Ann (Russell) Jeppesen of Morgan, MN, Walter (Janet) Wendland of Tacoma, WA, Bernard (Inez) Wendland of Springfield, MN, Berneida (Darrold) Peck of Slayton, MN, Sharon (David) Schisler of Mascoutah, IL, Roman (Ruth) Wendland of Farmington, MN, Diane (John) Woodford of Redwood Falls, MN, and Patrice (Chuck) Wermerskirchen of Jordan, MN. There are 52 grandchildren, 76 great grandchildren; 6 great great grandchildren; 2 step grandchildren; 23 step great grandchildren; and 2 step great great grandchildren - for a total of 177 descendants. Goldy lingered for several days breathing her last breaths until her daughter, Patrice, told her to get on her horse and ride away. Mom, you ran a great race.