Funeral services for Alma Amanda Custer were held December 30, 1992, at 2:00 p.m. at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Harlan with Reverend Stan Nielsen of the Shelby Lutheran Church officiating. Interment was held in the Harlan Cemetery with Rick Jacobsen, Kirk Jacobsen, Darren Thomsen, Dennis Thomsen, Bruce Wigg, David Thomsen and Curtis Wigg as casketbearers. Honorary casketbearers were Nels Block, Jr., Woodrow Hansen, Charles Andersen, Donald G. McConnell, Dewey Hess, Robert Morris and David Goede. Pauley Funeral Home in Harlan was in charge of arrangements.

Alma Amanda Gruhn, the daughter of Fred and Amanda (Asmus) Gruhn was born February 2, 1902, on a farm, three miles south of Manning, Iowa, in Carroll County. She grew to adulthood on this farm and attended Jefferson Township No. 1 country school. She worked for area families until her marriage to Louie Thomsen on September 29, 1920, at Manning, Iowa. After their marriage, they farmed the Thomsen farm 1 1/2 miles south of Aspinwall, Iowa, in Crawford County.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomsen also farmed near Gray, Iowa, and Elk Horn, Iowa, before retiring and moving to Harlan, Iowa, where he became the caretaker of the Harlan Golf and Country Club. He was accidentally killed at work on October 20, 1960.
After his death, Alma continued to make her home in Harlan, where she worked at the Baptist Memorial Home and Harlan Bowl.

On June 12, 1962, she was united in marriage to Glenn Custer in Harlan, Iowa where they continued to make their home. After Glenn's death on March 30, 1975, she continued to make her home in Harlan where she continued to be active in the Immanual Lutheran Church, the Veteran's of Foreign War's Auxiliary, World War I Auxiliary and several card clubs.

In addition to Louie and Glenn, she was preceded in death by two sisters: Freda Langbehn and Lena Jansen; two brothers: Henry and Ed Gruhn; one granddaughter, Stephanie Thomsen; and a step-great-grandchild, Todd Custer.

She is survived by two sons: Raymond and his wife, Fern, and Roger and his wife, Pat; two daughters: Doraine and her husband, Bud Wigg, and Marvel and her husband, Fred Jacobsen, all of Harlan; thirteen grandchildren; twenty-two great-grandchildren; three stepchildren: Glade Custer of Denver, Colorado Ival Custer of rural Harlan; an., Verlee Muller of rural Defiance, Iowa; four sisters: Ella Steen of Manning, Anna Mahnke of Albert City; Ida Anthony and Helen Andersen, a both of Denison; nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends.