Sonja Monson, 85, of St. James passed away at her home on September 1, 2022, in rural St. James.
 Visitation will be on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Madelia.
 Service will be held at Faith Lutheran Church in Madelia on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 11 a.m.
 The clergy will be Rev. Kelly Heide.
 Arrangements are with Sturm Funeral Home in St. James.
 Online condolences and memories of Sonja may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.
 Sonja Rae (Anderson) Monson was born on April 24, 1937, to Albert and Marion (Norland) Anderson in Cylinder, Iowa. She was one of two girls and one of seven children for Albert and Marion. Sonja was baptized and confirmed at Shiloh Lutheran Church in Elmore. Sonja grew up on a farm by Elmore. She graduated from Ledyard, Iowa in the class of 1955. She worked as a waitress in Elmore and that is where she met Virgil Monson. The two were married on April 28, 1957, at Shiloh Lutheran Church in Elmore. This union blessed them with two daughters, Janet and Julie.
 She was a faithful believer in God. She was a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Madelia. Virgil and Sonja would attend every Sunday until she was unable to due to health reasons. They then would watch the services on the internet every Sunday. Sonja was also a member of the Sons of Norway. She was very involved in 4-H as well, helping any way she could. Sonja and Virgil settled in their forever farm in La Salle, which the couple purchased in 1970. The couple raised their daughters along with pigs, sheep, cattle and Arabian horses. The couple also farmed the land. They truly loved the farm life. This is evident today, in the love of horses Janet and Julie have.
 She attended Mankato Secretarial School and graduated in 1984 with a 4.0 GPA. She then started working at House of Print as a Shift Leader in the mail room. She worked there until her retirement in 2012. In her retirement, she enjoyed life on the farm with her kitties and horses until her health started to decline.
 Sonja left this world and went to be with the Lord on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at the age of 85 years.
 Left to cherish her everlasting memory is her husband, Virgil; daughters, Janet and Julie; brother, Karryl (Rebecca) Anderson; numerous nieces and nephews and many other family members.
 She is preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Marion; sister, Karen; brothers, Albert (Junior), Robert (Bobby), James and infant brother, David Darryl.