The funeral service for Arne B. Aakre, of Albert Lea, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, March 14, at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. The Rev. John Holt will officiate. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Military honors will be accorded by Albert Lea veterans’ organizations.

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Bonnerup Funeral Serivce, and one hour before the service at the church.

Arne died on Wednesday, March 9, 2005, at Albert Lea Medical Center. He was 89.

He was born on July 30, 1915, near Triumph, Minn. (now known as Trimont), to Bertha (Fotland) and Andrew Aakre.

He was the seventh child of nine born

in this family. He grew up in rural Martin County and was baptized and confirmed in the Waverly Lutheran Church.

He attended school in District #63, Welcome High School, and graduated from Fairmont High School. He farmed with his brothers and Dad in the Fairmont area and worked as a car salesman. He was drafted in the Army in the March 1942.

After basic training in Texas, he was assigned to Seacoast Artillery Anti-aircraft Defense in the New York City harbor area.

While stationed in the New York area he met and then married Edna Schmidt on Sept. 1, 1943.

In June 1944, his battalion was transferred to St. John’s, Newfoundland, where it continued to guard the harbor with anti-aircraft defense.

After four years of service, Arne was discharged and he returned to Minnesota.

Edna joined him at the end of the school year and they made their home in Fairmont, Minnesota.

Arne worked in the Fairmont area at Welchlin’s Dealership and also trucked produce, grain and livestock. He bought a farm in Martin County with his brother William in 1954, and continued to farm there until his retirement in 1980.

During these years his family lived in Fairmont, moved to the farm for several years, and in 1960, moved to Albert Lea, where Edna taught school.

Arne divided his time between farming in Fairmont and living in Albert Lea. He became a proud member of First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, and was a passionate and active member of the Albert Lea Audubon Society. He enjoyed bird watching, kept records of birds seen and traveled to many bird watching sites.

Arne’s family

had expanded to include son Nelson and his wife Judy (Skogen) of Onalaska, Wis., son Warren and his wife Terry (McClure) and their children Allyson, Amanda and Alex, also of Onalaska, Wis., daughter Diane and

her husband Jim Johnson and their

children Marie, Daniel, and Andrew of Rochester.

In 1998, Edna and Arne moved to Bancroft Creek Estates in Albert Lea.

Son Warren died in 1999.

Arne is survived by his wife; children and grandchildren; a sister, Mildred Gulla of Fairmont; sister-in-law Harriett Aakre of Fairmont; brother-in-law Dr. Victor Schmidt of Brockport, N.Y.; and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

In addition to son Warren, Arne was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Olav, Harold and Bill Aakre; and sisters Herborg Aakre, Hannah Schaper, Betty and Christine Aakre.

Arne was always concerned about being fair and honest and will be remembered for being a great caretaker, doing all the little things that are so important, but often go unnoticed.