Lena Toavs

Visitation: Wednesday, March 14 at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point starting at 1 p.m. with a Family Service at 7 p.m.

Funeral Service: Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 11 a.m. at Community Bible Church in Wolf Point

Interment: Wolf Point Bethel Mennonite Church Cemetery

Lena Toavs, 96, of Wolf Point, MT died on Wednesday, March 7, at Faith Lutheran Home in Wolf Point.

Lena Koslowsky was born on November 27, 1910 to Martin and Mary (Lohrenz) Koslowsky in Peabody, Kansas. She grew up and attended school in Kansas. At age 14 she moved with her family to Frazer, Montana where her father farmed. She attended Lustre MB Church with her family where she was baptized by Rev. J.F. Thiessen. Lena worked in Wolf Point at the Sherman Hotel where she met Louis Toavs who worked for Camrud Motors. Lena and Louis were married on June 3, 1937, at Hawley, MN by Rev. J.A. Schmidt. They moved to the farm on Tule Creek in 1939 where they made their home. In 1949 they purchased the present farm from an uncle, N.F. Toavs.

She was a long time member of the Bethel Wolf Point Mennonite Church. She had a deep faith in God which was exemplified by a servants heart. She taught Sunday school, enjoyed music, loved being a part of the ladies-aid and a highlight was serving at church functions.Lena was truly a farmers wife. Singing as she worked was often heard by her daughter. Lorna was born near Christmas of 1942. She and her family brought her much joy through her long life. To name a few of Lenas favorite things would be: cats, milking cows, feeding chickens, gardening, canning, cooking (German food), baking (apple pies), hauling wheat, taking meals to the field or serving around her kitchen table. Hospitality was her specialty and the coffee pot was always on. She had a big heart filled with kindness, care and generosity. Her later years entailed a lot of pain and without much compliant. She enjoyed traveling to family and friends as long as she could.

After her husband, Louis, passed away Christmas of 2001, she remained on the farm till June, 2004 when she entered Faith Home due to a fall. Through ups and downs of elder years, she maintained her steadfast faith and died peacefully in her daughters arm.

Survivors include her daughter, Lorna (John) Jackson of Wolf Point, her grandson, Terry (Lori) Jackson of Ljubljana, Slovenia and their children, Meagan, Laurel and Kiley; her granddaughter Brenda (Richard) Darland of Vancouver, WA and their children, Kyle, Andrew, Benjamin, and Camille; a sister, Mary Seibel of Hillsboro, KS; and two brothers, Pete (Leona) Koslowsky of Hillsboro, KS and Jake Koslowsky of Newton, KS; a sister-in-law, Lily Baker of Wolf Point; three brothers-in-law, Arthur Fast of Lustre , John (Irene) Toavs of Wolf Point and Harry (Peggy) Toavs of Billings.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis in 2001, her parents, four brothers, Dave, Henry, John and Martin, and four sisters, Anna Beier, Tena Pankratz, Elizabeth Fast and baby sister Minnie.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, March 14 at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point starting at 1 p.m. with a family service at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, March 15, 2007, at Community Bible Church, Wolf Point. Interment will be at Bethel Wolf Point Mennonite Church Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the ministry of Terry and Lori Jackson (checks made to Josiah Venture) or charity of choice.