Oma Montag

Oma Marie (Allen) Montag, age 85, of Faribault, MN, and formerly of Curlew and Dows, Iowa, passed away on Monday, March 4, 2013 at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN, following a brief illness.

The family will celebrate Oma's life with a visitation and funeral Mass. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, March 11, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church (139 Mercy Drive) in Faribault. Visitation will be held from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. at the church before the service. Interment will follow at 4:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Cemetery in Mallard, Iowa, followed by a luncheon at St. Mary's Church in Mallard.

Arrangements are with the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault, MN.

Oma Marie (Allen) Montag was born on January 20, 1928 in West Bend, Iowa, the youngest daughter among the thirteen children of A.C. and Ida (Phillips) Allen. She married Philip John Montag in West Bend on August 27, 1946 and raised four sons and five daughters, all of whom loved her very much. She was preceded in death by her parents; by her husband, Philip; by her son, Randy, a terrible loss for her; and by several brothers and sisters. She is survived by her sons, Tom (Mary) of Fairwater, WI, Philip Jr. (Vicky) of Dows, IA, and Henry (Susan) of Cedar Rapids, IA; daughters, Kathleen Keilen (Jim) of Faribault, MN, Nancy Gehrke (Jerry) of Mankato, MN, Marilyn Quist (Bill) of Kanawha, IA, Diane Montag of Farmington, MN, and Colleen Vandervort (Dean) of Alden, IA; 28 grandchildren; more than 30 great grandchildren; her sister, Florence (Sunny) Hatfield; and by many friends and neighbors at Curlew and Dows, Iowa.

After their marriage, Oma and Philip took up farming in Rodman, Iowa, then at Curlew for many years before buying a farm of their own at Dows. Many of those early years at Curlew are recounted in Curlew: Home, a memoir by her son, Tom. Many readers have said that Oma was the hero of that book, and she was.

Eventually retiring from farming, both Oma and Philip worked for several years as USDA meat inspectors, living in Mason City and Indianola, Iowa, and then retiring to Hampton, Iowa. In 2004, the couple moved to Faribault, MN, to be close to three daughters who could help care for them in their final years.

Her "most perfect day ever" was a day in early spring in the first years of their marriage when, while driving home after purchasing a used oat-seeder at a farm west of Emmetsburg, IA, she and Philip talked about their future together and "their whole life rolling out before them, electric, and as alive as anything can be." That future lasted through 65 years of marriage, until Philip died October 2, 2011.

Oma often said that if she could tell her story, it would be a love story. And she meant it.

The family is grateful to the terrific nurses at St. Mary's in Rochester for their good care during Oma's sudden final illness.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation of food be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Faribault.