Dolores Severtson

Dolores "Lori" Severtson passed away on the morning of Friday November 22nd, 2024 at Agrace Hospice surrounded in love by her husband Mark and sons Bjorn and Rolf. We had just celebrated her 71st birthday the previous day by raising a nip of scotch in her honor.

 Lori was born to Betty and Reuben Grell on November 21st, 1953 in Clear Lake IA, fourth of five girls. As a child, her family traveled to Florida every year for several weeks living in a small trailer near the beach where she developed a love for the ocean. In high school she was elected band queen and met Mark when he drove her in the 4th of July parade 1972. They married 2 years later on June 21st, 1974. Lori attained a degree in Biology in 1976 from Iowa State University and taught for several years before taking a long sabbatical to raise her two boys. She resumed her education in 1993 and graduated from Oshkosh with a degree in Nursing. The family moved from Waupun to the village of Oregon in 1995 and Lori continued her education earning a PHD from UW Madison in 2004. After several years of research and teaching at UW Madison, Lori joined Edgewood College as a faculty member in the Henry Predolin School of Nursing. She taught undergraduate and graduate nursing students and was an integral part of giving the new DNP program a solid research foundation. She retired from Edgewood in 2023.

Lori was passionate about gardening, the natural world, and travel but her deepest love was for her family. She adored her husband Mark, two children Bjorn and Rolf, Bjorn's fiancé Racheal, and granddaughter Siobhan. Lori showed her love through tender hugs, the kindest words, cooking delicious meals, and putting others before herself. She always looked for the good in people; her close friend Cathy referred to her as Sweet Lori. She was joyous to the core, quick to laugh and often found wonderment reveling in the little joys of life. Walking through the woods with Lori required many stops along the way to look through her eyes and see the cool plants you would’ve otherwise missed. Likewise, each year her own garden grew, overtaking the grass with hostas, ferns, vegetables, and flowers until hardly any mowing was required.

The last 15 months of Lori's illness has been especially difficult, though it has also shown us the beauty of her core. With her first big stroke all filters went out the window. She licked plates clean in restaurants, got awesomely excited at the sight of tomatoes and flowers in her garden, lit up when she saw or talked about "that little girl" (Siobhan), and laughed boisterously at the little things that tickled her. And you wouldn't believe how loud she'd sneeze. When Lori watched the news it was as if anyone suffering in the world was someone close to her.

She is survived by husband Mark Severtson, sons Bjorn Severtson (Racheal Mitchell) and Rolf Severtson, granddaughter Siobhan Severtson-Mitchell, and sisters Judi, Sharon, Deb & Gigi.

The family would like to thank the Agrace Hospice staff for the wonderful care that she, and all of us, received in this final chapter of her life.Donations can be made in Lori’s name to Doctors Without Borders, or any environmental organization of your choice.

There will be a celebration of life next Spring.