Amy A. (Leland) Usgaard, age 59, of Decorah, Iowa, died from natural causes at her home Aug. 2, 2021.

Amy was born in Decorah, Iowa, on May 9, 1962, to Earl and Virginia Leland. She graduated from Decorah High School in 1980 and then attended Luther College; graduating in 1984 with a degree in English. Amy was employed by a number of Decorah businesses, including Decorah Greenhouse and Christian Camera. She was a bookkeeper for Bob’s Standard, for 15 years until 2016 and Decorah Newspapers for 14 years until her retirement in May 2021.    

On April 19, 1986, Amy married David Usgaard ‘82, and they shared 34 years together until David’s death in 2020. The couple had three sons, Curtis, Daniel and Douglass.

Amy was an avid runner and completed both the Twin Cities and Grandma’s Marathons. She enjoyed canoeing trips down the Upper Iowa River and spending a week each summer on Lake Lida in Minnesota. She enjoyed gardening and dearly loved raising her children and watching them grow into adulthood. She was a loving daughter to her mother and father and was active daily in their lives until their deaths.

Amy seemed to know just about everybody and have just as many friends. And everybody that knew her loved her for her gentle nature, warm smile, infectious laugh and genuine, grounded affection. We will miss her dearly.

Amy is survived by her sons: Curtis of Ames, Daniel (Emma) of La Crosse, Wis., and Douglass of Decorah; her brother, Timothy Leland ’77 (Anne (Straka) Leland ‘78) of Excelsior, Minn., and her sister, Cora Leland ‘77 of Billings, Mont.; her brothers-in-law: James (Becky Knutson), Urbandale, Iowa, Thomas (Susan), Morton, Ill., Robert (Diane Granfors), Anchorage, Alaska; and sister-in-law, Susan (Usgaard) Simi ’90 (Brent Simi), Blaine, Minn.

A joint memorial service for Amy and her husband David was held Oct. 16, 2021, at Decorah Lutheran Church.