obits

SIOUX CITY -- Gloria Mae Brouwer, 78, of Sioux City passed away Friday, March 5, 2010, at her home.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mark Lutheran Church, with the Rev. John Hagberg officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 6:30 p.m., at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent to christysmith.com.
Gloria was born May 25, 1931, at Donnelly, Minn., the daughter of Fred and Mabel (Peterson) Gerber. She grew up in Donnelly and graduated from Alberta High School. She continued her education in Sioux City at St. Joseph's Hospital and became a lab technician. She worked at St. Joseph's Hospital and later Marian Health Care.
Gloria married Jack Brouwer on Sept. 8, 1951. Other than a short time in Montana, they made their home in Sioux City. When Jack became ill, Gloria was his caregiver.
She was an active member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church and its Rachael's Circle, Bible study and was a Sunday school teacher. Gloria was also a member of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. She loved entertaining her family and enjoyed reading, painting and working with her roses while gardening.
Survivors include three daughters, Vesta and Darrell Clausen, Teresa and Randy Worrell and Anita Gossett, all of Sioux City; a son, Thomas and Kris Brouwer of Sioux City; 14 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jack; a great-grandson, Gabriel Clausen; and two brothers, Ronald Gerber and Dr. Robert Gerber.


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Dona Agosti
Longtime Anchorage resident Dona Agosti, 85, died peacefully March 9, 2010, at the Anchorage Pioneer Home.

A rosary will be at noon Saturday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 3900 Wisconsin St. in Anchorage. A funeral Mass will be at 1 p.m. A reception will follow at the Lunney Center.

Dona was born Jan. 11, 1925, in Donnelly, Minn. Following graduation from St. Mary's Catholic High School, she attended the University of Minnesota, majoring in journalism. She worked for Military Intelligence in Berlin during the post-World War II airlift crisis and wrote a column about her experiences for a Minnesota newspaper.

She met Lino, her husband of 55 years, in Colorado in 1954. Shortly after Alaska Statehood, they moved with their three daughters from Minneapolis to Anchorage, where the family grew by four sons. The Agostis resided in their Loussac Drive home in Turnagain since 1961.

Even while raising seven children, Dona was active in her church as a member of Holy Family Cathedral and then Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. In the '60s, Dona helped organize and direct Catholic Charities (now Catholic Social Services), as well as St. Francis House. She also helped found F.I.S.H., an ecumenical "people helping people" organization, and volunteered for 18 years. Dona was the program production chair for the 1981 visit of Pope John Paul II. In the '70s, she and Lino were initiated as Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Dona served as an election board member for 23 years, was a member of the Anchorage Republican Women's Club, worked on senatorial and gubernatorial campaigns, and was a Republican State Convention delegate and National Organization for Women state delegate. At Turnagain, Romig and West, she supported her children's band, choir, sports and science fair activities, as well as Camp Fire Girl, Boy Scout and Little League activities.

Dona was named Alaska Mother of the Year in 1984.

Professionally, Dona helped her husband build their company, Refrigeration and Food Equipment Inc., and also served as its president. In 1992, she was named a YWCA Woman of Achievement.

Dona loved the Alaska outdoors. She was an avid backpacker and enjoyed cross-country skiing. She served as hiking chair for the Mountaineering Club of Alaska for 10 years and led extended wilderness hikes throughout Alaska. Dona covered more than 2,600 miles and wrote "The High Country Backpacker," a book designed to help new hikers prepare and avoid injury. "Wilma: An Alaska Tale of One Teacher, Two Teenagers and Three Wolverines," another book that Dona wrote 40 years ago, was published recently. Dona loved spending time at the remote log cabin the family built outside Talkeetna. Reminiscent of her childhood cabin in northern Minnesota, Agosti Lake became her private piece of wilderness and provided many bear stories and other tall tales. She inherited her mother's green thumb and kept lovely flower gardens.

Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 19 years ago, Dona led a full and rewarding life. She was much loved and will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her husband, Lino; daughter Nancy and husband Fawzy Fawzy of Malibu, and their children Joanna and husband Ernesto Morales, of Culver City, and Monica, of Chicago; daughter Jan and husband Frank Woodruff, and their children, Amy, Zack and Fletcher, of Seattle; daughter Ann and husband Steve Hackett, of Homer; daughter Tam and husband Hans Gisler, and their children, Genevieve, Luke and Gabriella, of Anchorage; son, Jon and his children, Jamin, Claire, and Lawrence, of Anchorage; son Tim and wife Elaine, and their children, Adam, Alex and Andrew, of Kenai, Anthony of Nashville and Aaron in the U.S. Navy; son Tom and wife Julie Brown, and their children, Sam and Benji, of Seattle; son Dave and wife Denise, and their children, Tecla and Toby, of Anchorage; sister, Dorothy Wolking, of West Saint Paul; brother, Joe and wife Kay Wolking, of Tulsa; godchild Mike and wife Janeen McAllister, of West Saint Paul; and all of her extended family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Catholic Social Services, the National Parkinson's Foundation, or Hospice of Anchorage. Sign the online guestbook at legacy.com. Arrangements were by Anchorage Funeral Home.
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Elysia Buffington Moyle
Monday, March 8th, 2010

Elysia Buffington Moyle, 40, Bismarck, was called home to her Heavenly Father on February 23, 2010 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

A Funeral Service was held at 11 am on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at First United Methodist Church, Bismarck, with Rev. Kermit Culver officiating. Burial will be at a later date at First Lutheran Cemetery in Kensington, MN.

Visitation was held on Friday, February 26, 2010 at Weigel Funeral Home, Mandan.
Elysia was born February 1, 1970 in Morris, MN to William and Cherryl Madison. She was welcomed home by her beloved sister, Christi, who became her lifelong protector and supporter. Elysia was baptized at First Lutheran Church in Kensington, MN. The family moved to San Jose, CA and later to Bismarck, ND where Elysia graduated from Bismarck High School in 1988. She later graduated with degrees in Sociology and Social Work from the University of Minnesota, Morris and the University of Mary, Bismarck.
On July 3, 1993 she was married to Rob Moyle in Bismarck where they made their home. They were blessed with a daughter, Breanna, on March 2, 1995 and Elysia began her most fulfilling role as a mother to her precious “Bre”. A second union to Darren Buffington on February 14, 1999 blessed her again with a stepdaughter, Dana. Elysia enjoyed vacationing and spending time with family and friends, especially swimming and water skiing at the family cabin on Brush Lake.

Elysia began her career as a Licensed Social Worker for the Standing Rock Tribe. For the past several years she has been a Therapeutic Social Worker for PATH, Inc. in Bismarck. She was devoted to helping “her children” and formed lasting bonds with many. Elysia was especially proud to be “Auntie” to her special Christy Garreau. Elysia was so grateful for the love and lasting friendships of her coworkers and foster parents at PATH. Though a professional social worker, Elysia’s compassion, sensitivity and gentleness was also the manner in which she lived her life. A leader and mentor, she fully embraced life and all its adventures as well as expressing her artistic talents in playing the piano and painting. In her illness she demonstrated courage with a positive attitude and never saw herself as the victim. Elysia left a legacy of wonderful memories which we now celebrate and cherish.

Blessed to have shared her life is her daughter, Breanna; parents, Bill (Joy) Madison, Modesto, CA and Cherryl (Ritchie) Johnson, Hoffman, MN; sister, Christi (Henry) Blaskowski, Shakopee, MN; grandmother, Blanche Goodwin, Hoffman, MN; and each of her special friends, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews who she loved and appreciated.

Elysia was preceded in death by her grandparents, Francis Goodwin and Ed and Irma Madison; uncle, David Goodwin; and aunt, Dianne Hedstrom. In lieu of flowers the family prefers memorials to Elysia’s favorite charity, the Make a Wish Foundation, 1102 43rd St. S, Suite E, Fargo, ND 58103. Go to www.weigelfuneral.com to sign the online guestbook and view flower and tribute photos.