On November 21, 1919, a daughter, Ione Lucille, was born to Herbert and Laura Dalen in their home in Chippewa County, Minnesota and grew up with her sisters Junice and Gertrude. Ione was baptized and confirmed at Kviteseid Lutheran Church in Milan, Minnesota where she also studied, played basketball, and then graduated from Milan High School in 1937. Thereafter, Ione enrolled at Moorhead State College where she earned a teaching certificate with which she taught country school and became Education Director for the Minnesota Farmer's Union. On December 23, 1939, at Faith Lutheran Church in Madison, Minnesota, Ione was united in marriage to Ivan Stanley Kleven. Ione and Ivan lived and farmed on the Kleven family farm in Lac Qui Parle County where they were blessed with four children: Stanley, Eugene, Shirley, and Cheryl. In 1960, Ione resumed teaching, first in Watson, Minnesota, then in Milan where she taught in and then, after completing her degree and certification for school administration at the University of Minnesota -Morris, became elementary school principal until her retirement in 1979 after which Ione and Ivan were frequent winter residents of Arizona. In retirement, Ione became an accomplished and popular rosemaling artist which led to her becoming a principle organizer and promoter for the Milan Village Arts School and Arv Hus Museum Store that draws visitors and students from around the country to this local treasure. Ivan and Ione were, together, long and very active in the National Farmer's Organization and Ione's interest in and support for family farming issues continued after Ivan's death in December of 1991. Ione also penned a weekly column for the Milan Standard that welcomed new residents and otherwise took a lively, loving, but unsentimental look at her community and world. In 2000, Ione moved to Waverly, Iowa where her daughter Cheryl and family were living at that time. But Ione's heart remained in Milan so was with pleasure that she returned to Minnesota in 2009, becoming a resident at Appleton's Apple Ridge Estates where she welcomed and enjoyed visits from family and friends, read, played seriously competitive cards, and recently returned to the art of crocheting. She died peacefully Sunday, March 30, at the age of ninety-four while listening to the latest recording of Sunday worship at Kviteseid Lutheran Church. Ione was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Laura; daughter, Shirley; husband, Ivan; sister, Junice Sondergaard; and son, Gene. Left to give thanks for her life are her son, Stanley (and Kathy) Kleven of Athens, GA; daughter Cheryl (and David) Doely of Vining, MN, and sister Gertrude Rakow, Bellingham, MN; seven grandchildren: Laurel (and Russell Carter), Dan (and Noelle Desimone), and Tim Kleven; Noah, Peter (and Rachel), and Siri (and Justin Litterer) Doely; and Megan Kleven; and one great-grandaughter, Mackenzie Carter.
