Curtis 0. Eastlund, 49-year-old resident of Hillman, Minn., passed away Friday, Oct. 24, 2003, in an automobile accident near Hillman.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Onamia, Minn., with the Rev. Rich Fitzer officiating. Friends may call from 5-8 p.m., with a prayer service at 7 p.m., today at Shelley Funeral Chapel in Onamia, and one hour before the service at the church on Wednesday.

Curtis 0. Eastlund was born on April 20, 1954, in Albert Lea to Charles and the late Audrey (Hvolboll) Eastlund. He grew up and attended school in Albert Lea. In 1972 he graduated from Albert Lea High School. After high school he served in the United States Navy for four years.

Curtis was united in marriage to Shannon E. Smith on Aug. 24, 1996, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Onamia. Curtis has three sons from previous marriages: Daniel (26), Allen (19), and Loren (17). After his honorable discharge from the Navy he worked for several years in construction, hair styling and photography, until earning a civil engineering degree from The Institute of Technology at the University of Minnesota in 1989. He worked at SRF Inc. for three years as a design engineer. Since 1992 he worked for MN DOT and was currently the Project Development Engineer in the Baxter, Minn. office.

Curtis was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Onamia. He enjoyed woodworking and making things work. He also loved anything outdoors like hunting and fishing. From meetings to motors to elaborate rigging of some impossible project, he could make them work.

Curtis is survived by wife, Shannon Smith of Hillman; sons: Daniel Eastlund of Blaine, Minn., Allen Eastlund of St. Paul, and Loren Eastlund of St. Paul; father and stepmother, Charles Eastlund and wife Lola Jean of Albert Lea; brothers: Charles Eastlund of Burnsville, Minn, Chris Eastlund and wife Karen of Raritan, N.J., and Craig Eastlund of Long Prairie, Minn.; sisters: Cheryl Gowin and husband Dennis of Florida, and Carla Starck of Brooklyn Center, Minn.; and nieces and nephews.

Curtis was preceded in death by his mother, grandparents, and a nephew.

A beacon in our life has gone out.