Halvor Oftedahl

The funeral service for Halvor (Junior) Oftedahl will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 14, 2013 at Faith Lutheran Church in Eagle Bend with Pastors Melissa Ehrhardt and Hollis Bishop officiating. Visitation will be at the church from 4:00PM to 8:00 PM on Wednesday and 9:30 until the time of service on Thursday. Halvor (Junior) Oftedahl of Eagle Bend, age 88, passed away on Friday, March 8 at his home under the care of Knute Nelson Hospice Junior was born on August 12,1924 in Minneapolis to Halvor and Lydia (Anderson) Oftedahl. They moved to Eagle Bend when he was a young boy. He was baptized in Minneapolis and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Eagle Bend. He graduated from Eagle Bend High School and was drafted intothe Army and served in the Pacific Theater during WWII, first in the Philippines and following the dropping of the atomic bombs, was sent to Japan. He received the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with 1 bronze star, Philippine Liberation with 1 bronze star and the Army of occupation medal Japan and was discharged in October 1946. He returned to Eagle Bend and spent the remainder of his life in this community. Junior was married to Evelyn Anderson on October 16,1948 at Petri Lutheran Church in Eagle Bend. They were married for 64 years. Jr. and Evelyn lived on a farm south of Eagle Bend and raised a family of 5 children: Daniel, Valerie, Bruce, Myron and Philip. Besides being a farmer, Junior started working for Harris Greene Construction in the early 1960s and with Tim Greene Construction until 1996. He continued working with Kenneth Nelson on smaller construction and painting jobs in many homes in the Eagle Bend area until his health caused him to fully retire. Junior was a 43 year survivor of pancreatic cancer. He filled these years with love for family and friends, working hard and enjoyed making furniture for all his children and grandchildren. He kept active, participating in Faith Lutheran Church, doing much of the staining as the church was built and continued working as the church handy man. He was a hard-working, soft spoken man who found his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be a joy in his life. He enjoyed camping, fishing and working in his wood working shop. In the later months of his life, his enjoyment was watching the birds at the birdfeeder out the front window. His favorite was when the cardinals came. Junior is survived by wife, Evelyn and children: Daniel (Sherry) of Eagle Bend, Valerie of Sauk Centre, Bruce (Linda) of Long Prairie, Myron (friend Carol) of Silver Lake, and Philip (MargaretMary) of Crystal; grandchildren Brent (Amy) Oftedahl, Jennifer (Tim) Rohloff, Stephanie and Jonathan Oftedahl and great-grandchildren Tyler, Brandon and Lane Oftedahl, Lorisa and Brandi Ritter, Koby Rohloff, Jordan and Dacotah Kolstad; brother, Dale (Darlene) of Eagle Bend, sisters Diane (Louis) Peterson of Clarissa and Karen (Dennis) Beach of Eagle Bend, brother-in-law Harold Jackson of Longmont, Colorado and sister-in-law Delores Haggar of White Bear Lake. Halvor was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Kenneth in 1921 and Duane in 1930, and sister Pearl in 2011; granddaughters Brandiss Oftedahl in 1992 and Jackie (Oftedahl) Kolstad in 2007. Honorary pallbearers are Junior's grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Pallbearers are Tim Greene, Greg Harren, Donald Jackson, Rick Nelson, Dale Olson and Tyler Oftedahl. Military honors will be provided by MNARG Honor Guard. Burial will be at the Hope Lutheran Cemetery in Eagle Bend.

Halvor Oftedahl

August 12, 1924 - March 8, 2013