Martha Harra, 95, Owatonna
Martha Harra, 95, of Owatonna passed away on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.
Martha was born in Heron Lake, Minn. to Carsten and Johanna Clausen on Dec. 27, 1926. She graduated from Owatonna High School in 1944.
She met her husband while working at Marine Headquarters in Washington D.C. They later divorced.
Many remember Martha as the white-haired mail order manager at Sears where she worked for 24 years until retirement in 1987. Martha was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church of Owatonna and volunteered there until she started losing her eyesight. She was known for her sense of humor, quick wit, and positive attitude.
Martha was someone who…
• Loved spending time with family and friends. As her failing eyesight and hearing became more limiting, she especially appreciated their visits, playing Yahtzee and Farkle (often “letting others win“) and enjoying their company.
• Loved her country. She left Owatonna right after high school to go work at the Marine Headquarters in Washington DC. She was a gold star mother, having lost her oldest son, Lee, at the age of 22, in the Vietnam War.
• Had one vice, chocolate! She was a chocoholic! Chocolate covered peanuts were her favorite, but most any chocolate would do in a pinch.
• Loved dogs. Pictures of her cocker spaniel, Tasha, hung on her apartment walls. She was sure to have treats in hand when family and friends brought their pets.
• Believed her greatest accomplishment was raising three kids on her own, while working full-time and without financial support. She could be tough and might have been a little stubborn but never lost her sense of humor.
• Loved her family. Toward the end, her last words, earnestly and faintly spoken to each of us were “… I… Love… You.”
• Trusted in her savior. As her eyesight, hearing and health deteriorated for the past few months, she often said “I just want to go home.“
Martha is survived by her daughter Pat (Mark) Fossen; son Jack (Tarsia) Harra; grandchildren Shanda (George) Cunniff, Nicki (Matt) Warner, Tyler Fossen, Logan Harra and Kjorte Harra; great-grandchildren Spencer Warner, Hanna Cunniff, John Cunniff and Ben Cunniff; and Owatonna nephew, Dave (Sue) Wavrin, and their daughter Danielle and granddaughter Willow.
Martha was preceded in death by her parents, son Lee and four siblings.
We will sorely miss her. We take comfort in the knowledge that she is finally home, seeing, hearing, and rejoicing in Jesus, her savior.
Funeral service will be Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church. Friends may greet the family one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Memorials are preferred to Owatonna Veteran’s Memorial Fund or Owatonna Hospice Patient Care. For more information or to leave a message of condolence, go to www.megercares.com.