Temple Viola (Arneson) Fossell

Temple Fossell, of Montevideo, passed away on Monday, May 20, 2019 at Luther Haven Nursing Home in Montevideo at the age of 95. 

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, May 24, 2019 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Rev. Jeff Fitzkappes officiating.  Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Montevideo.  

Visitation with the family will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 PM on Thursday, May 23 at Anderson - TeBeest Funeral Home in Montevideo.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Friday.

Temple Viola (Arneson) Fossell was born on January 29, 1924 near Fairdale, ND to Sigvart and Hanna (Gunderson) Arneson, the tenth of thirteen children. She was baptized and confirmed at the Aadalen Lutheran Church in Fairdale.  Temple attended school in Fairdale, which she was not fond of, through the tenth grade.  She later received her GED at age 50 in 1974.  

Temple met her husband, Glenn Fossell, through her sister, Helen, who was married to Glenn’s uncle.  Temple and Glenn were married October 5, 1941 in Stephen, MN.  Glenn enlisted in the Army in 1942, and Temple stayed with her family and Glenn’s family for a short while with their two children until moving to an apartment in Kennedy until Glenn returned in 1945.  They lived there until 1952 before moving to Cyrus until 1954.  They relocated to Montevideo after their third child was born, and in 1959 their fourth child completed their family.  

Temple was a homemaker and mother through most of her young life.  She went to work in food service at the Montevideo Elementary School in 1969 and worked there for 23 years before retiring.  She absolutely loved baseball, especially the Minnesota Twins, and rarely missed a game on TV.  Temple was also an avid Scrabble player and frequently played with her sister, Stella.  The two of them often played to see who could outdo the other.  Temple was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church where she assisted with the Ladies Circle, folded church bulletins every Friday afternoon, and quilted many quilts for Lutheran World Relief.  She was also a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary for many years.  

Temple is survived by her children: Marlys Fossell, Sharon (Woody) Brown and Tom Fossell; grandchildren: Kelly (Paul) Butkowski, Matt Brown, Nathan Fossell, Jeremy Fossell, Adam Fossell and Kane (Whitney)  Fossell; great-grandchildren: Brooke and Tara Butkowski, Ethan, Quincy and Navy Fossell and Riley Anderson; as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins.  

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband in 2002; son, Kevin Fossell; daughter-in-law, Jacque Fossell; seven brothers; and five sisters.