Local News in Brief : Funeral Set for Former N. Hollywood Pastor

Funeral services are scheduled this afternoon for the Rev. Thomas Sherman Severtson, a former pastor of Valley Lutheran Church in North Hollywood, who in recent years served as a substitute pastor at Lutheran churches throughout the San Fernando Valley.

Severtson, 72, who lived in Sun Valley, died of cancer Tuesday at Panorama Community Hospital in Panorama City.

Severtson, a native of Gruver, Iowa, was pastor of churches in North Dakota and Montana before moving to California. He was pastor at Valley Lutheran Church from 1962 to 1966 and at Grace Lutheran Church in Ukiah, Calif. from 1966 to 1972. He spent the next three years at a church in Nebraska.

In 1975, Severtson retired from full-time ministry and began acting as a substitute pastor around the Valley. He had been a member of the Board of Deacons at Valley Lutheran since 1983 and was named pastor emeritus of the church on May 12.

He is survived by his wife, Muriel G. Pedersen Severtson of the home; two brothers, the Revs. Ansle T. Severtson of Granada Hills and Murley A. Severtson of Clear Lake, Iowa; a sister, Genevieve Severtson Odegaard of Fountain, Minn.; four children, Emily Pilgrim of Sun Valley, Thom Severtson of Los Angeles, Peter Severtson of Northridge and Timothy Severtson of Philadelphia; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. at Valley Lutheran Church, 7400 Tujunga Ave., with burial to follow at Glen Haven Cemetery in San Fernando.