Funeral services for Irma J. Wangen, age 93, of Albert Lea, will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. The Rev. Linda Gunderson will officiate. Burial will be at Central Freeborn Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home, and one hour prior to the services at the church.

Irma died on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2005, at the Good Samaritan Center.

Irma J. Wangen was born on March 16, 1911, in Alden Township, the daughter of Charles and Mary (Schmidt) Steele. Irma was raised and attended rural school in the Alden area. She was baptized, confirmed and married at the Concordia Pickerel Lake Church. On June 25, 1940, she was united in marriage to Nels A. Wangen. The couple lived and farmed in Bancroft township all of their lives.

Irma was a homemaker. Her family and her church were very important to her. She was active in her church and served as a Sunday School teacher; a member of the Church Women, where she had been president and held other offices, and was an officer of her Church Circle. She was also a member of the Freeborn County Farmer’s Union. Her claim to fame was her date cake and white cake with lemon filling and seven-minute fluffy frosting.

Survivors include her sons: Roger Wangen of Albert Lea and his special friend JoAnn Charlson, and Eugene and his wife Diane Wangen of Albert Lea; daughter, Mary Ann and her husband Ernest Atchison of Albert Lea; grandchildren: Sheila and her husband Alden Fry of Alexandria, Va., Shelly and her husband Mark Capistrant of Savage, Minn., Donna and her husband Chad Johnson of Tyler, Minn., Megan and her husband Armando Mora of Douglasville, Ga., Ryan Atchison and his friend Gina Severtson of Albert Lea, Stephanie Atchison and her friend Russ Peterson of Excelsior, and Elizabeth Atchison of Albert Lea; great-grandchildren: Laura and Alex Fry, Justin and Jessica Capistrant, Chelsey and Seth Johnson, Aaron Atchison, and Daniel Mora;

her sister who is 106 years old, Hulda Bauers; brothers- and sisters-in-law: Arvella Steele, Frieda Wangen, Helen and her husband Bill Aanerud, Russell, Harold and his wife Maxine, and Floyd Wangen, and Chester and his wife Marie Hanson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Irma was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Nels, in 1982; her sisters: Laura Steele, Magdalena and her husband Arthur Perschbacher; her brother, Albert Steele; and brothers- and sisters-in-law: Herman Bauers, Arnold Wangen, Arthur Gunderson, Viola Wangen, Florence Hanson, Glen and Lila Wangen, Elvin and Irene Wangen, Alfred and Marie Kaufmann, and Dora and Henry Melander.