Funeral services for Aldon E. Holstad, age 74, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, at the First Lutheran Church in Glenville. Rev. Mark Wendland will officiate. Interment will be in the Greenwood Cemetery with military honors accorded by the Freeborn County Veterans organizations. Visitation is 5 to 8 p.m. today, Friday, at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home, and one hour prior to the services at the Church. To sign the guest book, goto www.bayviewfuneral.com

Aldon died Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004, at his home in Glenville.

Aldon Elroy Holstad was born Sept. 12, 1929, to Bendick J. and Hilda E. (Erickson) Holstad in rural Northwood, Iowa, and attended schools in Northwood and Otrano, Iowa. He served in the United States Amy during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953. On Nov. 26, 1954, Aldon was united in marriage to Kathryn Knaack at the First Lutheran Parsonage in Glenville. He had been employed at Holstad Motor Sales and Northwood International in Northwood, Iowa, in the early 1950s as a mechanic. Aldon then began farming in the Northwood area and later the Glenville area, retiring in 2001. He was a member of First Lutheran Church in Glenville and the church choir, the Glenville American Legion, the VFW, and the Eagle’s Club.

Survivors include his wife, Kathryn; children: Pat Martinson and her husband Brad, Tom Holstad, and Jody Christianson and her husband Lon; daughter-in-law, Jolene Ward and her husband Dave; grandchildren: Erik, Justin and Jennah Holstad, Leif and Kelsey Martinson, Seth Holstad, and Kail and Emily Christianson; step grandchildren: Tabitha, Luke and Brett Ward; sisters: Lillian Thompson and her husband Jewell, Luella Leidal and her husband Curtis, Burnette Sanderson and her husband Leon, Mildred Patterson, and Idena Hagen; sisters-in-law: Dorothy Holstad, Gen Lau and her husband Virgil, Janice Lembke and her husband Jim, Bonnie Rasmusson and her husband Ron, and Arlene Knaack; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Aldon was preceded in death by his parents; son, Steven Holstad; brothers: Marvin and Irving Holstad; sisters: Gilma Holstad, Julia Stumo, and Evelyn Gordon; brothers-in-law, Gerhard Stumo, Roy Gordon, Max Patterson, Stan Hagen, and Richard Knaack; sister-in-law, Fern Holstad; and several nieces and nephews.

Aldon fought lymphoma courageously for the past year while remaining the eternal optimist. He loved his community, life, and his family very much. He will be sadly missed by all those who love him and we celebrate his life.