Gaythel Loberg Haerther, age 92, of Northwood, Iowa, died on Sept. 30, 2006, at the Muse Noris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City, Iowa. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, at Silver Lake Lutheran Church, Northwood, with the Rev. Randy Baldwin officiating. Burial will be in Silver Lake Cemetery. Visitation will be on Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, Highway 65 S., Northwood, and one hour prior to services at the church.

Gaythel was born on Dec. 23, 1913, in Thornburg, Ark., to Elza and Elizabeth (Boyett) Howard.

She was orphaned when she was 3 years old and spent many years in foster homes until she came to Iowa to live with her sister Lydia and her family at age 15.

On April 18, 1938, she married Bennie Loberg at Silver Lake Lutheran Church in rural Northwood, Iowa. From this union four children were born. She was active in the Silver Lake Lutheran Church and loved to cook, garden and visit with people.

Gaythel was preceded in death by her parents; husband Bennie, two brothers; two sisters; one grandson Ben.

She is survived by her children; Julie (Karl) Himan of Branson West, Mo., John (Karen) Loberg of Los Angeles, Calif., Linda (Chris) Henry of Farmington, Minn., William (Jeanne) Loberg of Northwood, Iowa; eight grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandsons.

Three years after the death of Bennie, Gaythel married Herman Haerther on Sept. 1, 1974, and moved to Atkins, Iowa. Her five step-children are Dale (Jane) of McAllen, Texas, Glenn of Atkins, Iowa, Leroy (Susan) of Boca Raton, Fla., Geraldine (Kay) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Norma (Grant) of Pacific, Calif. They had nine grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

She was an active member of the St. Stevens Lutheran Church.

She was preceded in death by Herman and Glenn&8217;s wife, Mary.

Gaythel recently moved to Maple Court Apartments in Northwood and rejoined the Silver Lake Lutheran Church. She passed away quietly on Sept. 30, 2006, after suffering a stroke on Sept. 20.

The family extends heartfelt thanks for the kind and caring staff at Mercy Hospital on the sixth and fourth floors and the Hospice of North Iowa during this time.