Laura Ortgies March 31, 1921 – Jan. 16, 2019

      Laura Ortgies age 97, died Wednesday Jan. 16, 2019 at the Monticello Nursing and Rehabilitation Center following a brief illness.

      A Life Celebration service will be held 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Anamosa where friends may call after 9:30 a.m.  Interment will be in the Prairie Hill Cemetery.   Rev. Rodney Bluml will officiate at the services.  Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa has taken Laura and her family into their care.  In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Paul Lutheran Church or Camp Courageous.

      Laura Henrietta Caspers was born March 31, 1921 on the farm in Castle Grove Township, Jones County, Iowa.   She was the daughter of Peter and Johanna Poppe, Caspers.  She was baptized on May 5, 1921 at S.S. Peter and Paul Lutheran Church in Castle Grove and confirmed her faith in August of 1935 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Anamosa.  On Oct. 12, 1938 Laura married Alvin J. Ortgies at St. Paul Lutheran Church.  The couple farmed in Cass Township near Anamosa.  The couple was married 61 plus years before Alvin's death on March 18, 2000.

      Laura had been a 4-H Leader for the Cass Corner Charms for 11 years; she served on the County Committee for Jones County Extension Service and the Cass Homemakers.  She was a charter and lifelong member of St. Paul Lutheran Church.  She was active in the Rebecca Circle.

      Laura is survived by four children, John Henry (Phyllis) Ortgies, Redmond, Ore., Richard Ortgies, Anamosa, Julie (David) Raak, Ryan, Ruth Englken, Cuba, Mo., 11 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren and a sister-in-law Delores Caspers, Albuquerque, N.M.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Alvin, a grandson Phillip Ortgies her sister Louise Siebels and four brothers, Henry, George, Carl and Earl Caspers.