Ostrow, Hilvie Elizabeth Benson age 100, died July 27, 2022. A people person, Hilvie enjoyed sitting in the lobby of Episcopal Homes, chatting with residents and staff. She shared her joy and her smile with everyone she met. People fascinated Hilvie. Hilvie's talents were many. She was a musician, with a beautiful voice and she played the piano brilliantly even after her 100th birthday. She appreciated all genres of music, but mostly loved classical and sacred. Her true passion was opera. Hilvie taught French and Spanish before she married, and taught ELL students. Hilvie and Aaron traveled widely, and were particularly interested in Central America, going on study tours numerous times. They were lifelong learners and lifelong volunteers, highlighted by their time together as Peace Corps volunteers in Estonia. Mom wrote perceptive poetry, spoke on peace for Clergy and Laity Concerned and Women Against Military Madness, and authored a master's thesis on Soren Kierkegaard for the Master of Divinity she accomplished at 60. Devoutly faithful to her Lutheran heritage, Hilvie's father was the last President of the Augustana Lutheran Church. She was an ecumenist in every sense and served as President of Church Women United. She explored questions of theology all her life. She had a fierce sense of egalitarian and human rights principles, respecting the company president no more than the person who maintained her lawn. Hilvie cared deeply about the natural world, contributing to many organizations working for environmental protection such as Audubon and Sierra Club. She was also a philanthropist, giving generously to Grace University Lutheran Church, Lutheran Social Service, Luther Seminary, homeless projects, poverty, hunger, and health care projects globally and domestically. She supported the work to stop drunk driving through Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Among her heroes were: Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King, and Ruth Youngdahl Nelson. She admired those who stood up for what they believed in, and she taught her children and grandchildren the same values. In conversations with her friends since her death, her humility is something that is frequently mentioned. She believed in others and loved to affirm people. This brought her the deepest joy in her life. Hilvie loved good food, good humor, and good conversation. She loved baseball, birds, dogs, mystery novels, and trees. In one hundred years, she discovered many passions and we cannot list them all here. After Aaron's death, Hilvie became a hospice volunteer, and she also played piano for those in long term care. She was an active member of her beloved Grace University Lutheran Church. Wherever she went, she joined committees and participated in education groups such as the Socrates Club, Great Decisions, and the Human Rights Commission for Golden Valley. In her final years, she lived at Becketwood Senior Cooperative in Minneapolis and Episcopal Home Iris Park Commons in Saint Paul. These experiences with the residents and staff kept her healthy, mentally sharp, and grateful in her later years. The family wants to express profound gratitude to all those who assisted her so graciously and kindly in her last years. Her long life was filled with commitment, pleasure, and most of all love. She was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Elfie (Hanson) Benson, her brother Philip Benson (Janis) and her husband Aaron Ostrow. Hilvie's children are Laurel Ostrow, Karen Linnea Benson (Robert Callan) and Paul Ostrow (Julie Mattson Ostrow). She was immensely proud of her DREAM team of the five grandchildren - Dylan, River, Emily, Aaron and Matthew. A celebration of life is planned on August 27th at 10 AM for visitation and social time, followed by the service of celebration. A light lunch will follow at Grace University Lutheran Church at 324 SE Harvard Street, Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers, please donate to any of Hilvie's favorite organizations or to the Episcopal Homes Foundation.

Published on July 31, 2022