Elizabeth Ann Ohlund

Elizabeth Ann “Betty Bunger” Ohlund passed away peacefully on August 23, 2015 following a courageous three and a half year battle with cancer. Memorial services will be held at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home, 1615 West Milwaukee Avenue at 4:00 p.m., on Saturday, August 29, 2015 with dinner following. Guest/Family visitation will be held prior to funeral from 2:00-4:00 pm. Cremation was chosen. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be directed to: Oncology at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center, 1525 West 5th Street, Storm Lake, Iowa 50588; Mr. Goodfellow at Pilot Tribune, 527 Cayuga Street, Storm Lake, Iowa 50588; or the United Methodist Church in Storm Lake at 211 East 3rd Street, Storm Lake, Iowa 50588. Elizabeth Ann Ohlund was born October 11, 1936 in Anniston, Alabama to John and Ruth Bunger. She spent most of her youth in North Platte, Nebraska where she graduated from high school in 1954. Betty worked for two years in Estes Park, Colorado during high school summers and for one summer after starting college. She earned her elementary education teaching degree from Wayne State teacher's college in Nebraska. Betty met her husband Robert (Bob) Ohlund while attending Wayne State and they were united in marriage on May 26, 1956. Together they were blessed with three children: Tamara, Gregory Gus and Barbara. Betty taught in the elementary school system in Bloomfield and Tekamah, Nebraska before moving to Storm Lake in 1974. She worked a couple years at the canning factory when she first moved to Storm Lake, but then became the Executive Director of The Gingerbread House Child Development Center for 25 years before retiring in 2001. Betty was founder and member of Buena Vista County Childcare Learning Network and a member of Buena Vista County Provider Association and Buena Vista Child Abuse Prevention Team. She also served on the State Day Care community for six years and on local boards for Community Education, Community Betterment and Early Childhood and Iowa Rural Development Council. Betty was a presenter at numerous local, state and regional Early Childhood workshops. She also retired in June of 2015 after serving many years as Storm Lake’s chairperson for Mr. Goodfellow. Betty loved children, teaching and supervising the operation of Gingerbread House and working with parents and the community. Most of all, Betty loved her family and grandchildren. She enjoyed cooking and baking for her loved ones. Christmases at Lake Okoboji were wonderful family memories. She will be remembered as a loving, caring, hard-working mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to many. Betty will be cherished and her life celebrated by her children: Tammy and husband Dave Schwartz of Ankeny, Iowa; Gregory ‘Gus’ Ohlund and wife Lori of Denison; and Barbara Ohlund and husband Joe Monahan of Boone, Iowa; grandchildren, Bryan (Lindsey) Schwartz, daughter Ella, and son Landon of Ankeny; Todd (Amy) Schwartz and son, Tate of Grimes; Derek Schwartz at University of Iowa and friend Sadie Christensen, Taylor Schwartz at Iowa State University; Grant Ohlund of Denison; and Dominic Monahan of Boone; her siblings Fran (Ed) Pacheco, Charles Bunger and Jeanne (Gregg) Harshbarger all of North Platte, Nebraska; sisters-in-law, Mary Ann Bunger of Yuma, Arizona and Sharrell Bunger of Tumwater, Washington; many nieces and nephews. Betty was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; brothers: Jack, Gary and Larry Eugene Bunger; and nephews Charles Pacheco and Gary Gene Bunger.

Elizabeth Ann Ohlund

October 11, 1936 - August 23, 2015