Iva Kloster

Iva Lee Kloster, 65, of Hankinson, ND, passed away on Friday, November 3, 2017, at CHI St. Francis Hospital in Breckenridge, MN. There will be a chapel service at 1:00PM, on Thursday, November 9, at Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home in Breckenridge, with a visitation one hour prior to the service. Pastor Mark Manning will officiate.

Iva Spriggs was born in Newport, Tennessee, on April 1, 1952, the daughter of Charles and Girtrue (Baxter) Spriggs.  She grew up and attended school in Newport. Following high school, Iva worked various jobs in Gatlinburg and Sevierville, Tennessee. While she was vacationing in North Carolina, Iva met US Marine, James Kloster.  They began a long distance courtship which prevailed over Jim’s 14 month overseas deployment. On October 16, 1975, Iva and Jim were united in marriage in Cosby, Tennessee.  Jim’s career with the Savin Corporation meant several moves to different cities in the South East area of the United States. Over the years, during their many trips back to visit Jim’s family, Iva fell in love with the Midwest. So in 2001, they packed up one last time to move to Hankinson, ND. She began working at St. Francis Hospital as a CNA, which was well suited to her loving, bubbly personality. In 2002, Iva had a stroke and has since resided at St. Catherine’s Living Center in Wahpeton.

People were drawn to Iva like bees are to flowers. She was warm, friendly, and genuinely cared about people. “There are no strangers here, just friends I haven’t met,” certainly could have been the tag-line for her life. Iva loved gardening, crafting, and was a wonderful cook. She was a devoted wife, loving sister, and gracious friend.

Iva will be missed by her husband, Jim Kloster of Hankinson; her step-son, Kevin (Nachole) Kloster of Hankinson, and their children, Halie and Taylar; and her sister, Jean (Royce) Jenkins of Cosby, TN. She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Girtrue; her four sisters, Martha, Evelyn, Susan, and Margaret; and two brothers, Charles and Richard