Harriet Delores Onell

Harriet D. Onell, age 91, of Hutchinson, formerly Litchfield, died on Friday, December 13, 2019, at the Harmony River living Center in Hutchinson. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, December 19, 2019, at the Zion Lutheran Church. Visitation will be from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Wenesday, December 18, 2019 at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral and Cremation Service and also one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Ripley Cemetery. Harriet Delores Onell, the daughter of Albert and Selma (Bjornstad) Schipper, was born on July 3, 1928, in Litchfield. She attended school in Grove City. On September 8, 1945, she was married to Reuben Onell in Buffalo. They made their home on a farm in the Forest City area where she worked as a homemaker and farm wife while raising six children. In 1978, she moved to Litchfield. Harriet provided daycare for several years. She obtained certification as a nursing assistant and worked at Augustana Homes. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1984. She was instrumental in starting and facilitating an MS support group in the Litchfield area. She was an active member of Ostmark Lutheran church, where she participated in choir, taught Sunday School and was Sunday School superintendent. After moving into Litchfield, she became a member of Zion Lutheran Church. During her retirement years she was a Senior Companion volunteer. She loved to dance and organized dances for the Golden Ages Club for a period of time. Harriet enjoyed crocheting, jigsaw puzzles, word searches and reading. She was an avid Minnesota Twins fan. She also liked to feed the birds and garden. She loved to cultivate and grow African Violets, and she was a great cook. She made the best apple pie! Harriet loved her family, and she especially loved her grandchildren. She is survived by her children Gary Onell of Pequot Lakes, Durand “Randy” Onell of Litchfield, Judith (Jerry) Roering of Rice, Stephen Onell of White Bear Lake, Deborah Onell (Ellen Richter) of Rio, WI, and Sundee Pietsch of Estes Park, CO; 15 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Roger Schipper of Bock, sisters Phyllis Peterson of Litchfield and Wilma Hyde of Janesville, WI. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings Sam Larson, Andrew Larson, Glen Larson, Clifford Larson, Chester Larson, Hazel Niehaus, Violet Westrup, Elaine Jonell, Myrna Toftley, Betty Rhyti, and grandson Durand Onell. In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to Zion Lutheran Church or MS Society.