Iva Tupa

Iva E. Tupa, 83, of Grand Forks, ND died Tuesday, January 27, 2015 in Altru Hospital, Grand Forks. Iva Evelyn Jorgenson was born on May 8, 1931 in Garfield Township near Fertile, MN the daughter of Harlow and Esther (Larson) Jorgenson. She grew up and attended school in Mentor, MN and graduated in 1950. She worked at the F.W. Woolworth Store from 1950 to 1955 at Crookston, MN. In 1956 she moved to Minneapolis, MN and worked for the L.S. Donaldson Co. where she met Ernest Wiens. On June 7, 1957 she married Ernest at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Crookston, MN. They made their home in Ernest's hometown of Munich, ND. They wintered in Phoenix, AZ for 5 years while continuing to farm in Munich. Iva worked outside the home in various positions while raising her family. On December 15, 1978 Ernest passed away. On June 4, 1982 Iva sold the farm in Munich and moved to Grand Forks where she worked for United Hospital from 1983 to 1985. She met Ben Tupa and they married on May 18, 1985 at St. Johns Catholic Church in Grafton. During her time in Grafton she worked for K-Mart for 10 years until they closed the store. Iva and Ben moved to Grand Forks in July 2009. Iva continued to garden on her apartment patio. On August 31, 2011 Ben passed away. Iva enjoyed tending to her garden, canning the many vegetables and fruit it produced. She also enjoyed crafting and baking. Iva always had a jigsaw puzzle in process even until the very last. She will be greatly missed. Iva is survived by daughters, Judy (Chuck) Dethloff of Forest Grove, OR, Jackie Wiens of Grand Forks, Janis (Jim) Hom of Yorba Linda, CA; son, Jeffrey Wiens, Lubbock, TX; four grandchildren, Brittany (John) Hesse, Michelle Hom, Kari (Dan) Sip and Kayla Llamas; nine great grandchildren; brothers, Harold (Sandy) Jorgenson and Harvey (Linda) Jorgenson; sister, Eleanor Radi; step daughters, Diane (Ronald) Kleven, Stephanie Vaudrin, Susanne (Dale) Martinson, Bonnie (Bert) Jackson, Carol Tupa all from Grafton; twelve step grandchildren, thirty-eight step great grandchildren and thirteen step great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Ernest and Ben; and stepsons James Tupa and Robert Vaudrin Sr. Funeral services will be Friday, January 30, 2015 at 10:00 AM in the University Lutheran Church, Grand Forks. Visitation will be for the hour before the service in the church. Interment will be in the Rosehill Cemetery, Alsen, ND. An online obituary may be signed at www.amundsonfuneralhome.com