PHYLLIS J. RASMUSSEN, 65

Blair native Phyllis J. Rasmussen, 65, died Aug. 29, 2007, in the Washington, D.C. area after a year-long battle with cancer.

Services were held in Maryland on Sept. 1. Interment will be in the Blair Cemetery.

Phyllis J. Rasmussen was born June 20, 1942, in Blair to Elmer and Myrtle Rasmussen.

She attended school in Blair. She did her undergraduate studies at Dana College with the exception of one year she spent as an exchange student in Denmark. She then pursued her master’s degree in library science at the University of Minnesota.

She began her career working at the Dana College Library for several years before moving to Washington, D.C., in the early ‘70s to work at the Library of Congress, where she specialized in the Scandinavian and Germanic areas. Among her many accomplishments was her working knowledge of seven languages: Danish, German, Finnish, Swedish, Estonian, Latvian and English.

She was active in her church home, and especially enjoyed her work with the Luther League and the worship and music committees. She was a member of two choral societies, performing concerts both in the United States and abroad.

She is survived by three brothers and their families, David E. and Emily Rasmussen of Blair, Richard and Sue Rasmussen of West Des Moines, Iowa, and Gary and Linda Rasmussen of Ankeny, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials are suggested to Dana College.