Bert V. McKean, age 76, of Freeborn, died Friday, March 18, 2005, at the Good Samaritan Center in Albert Lea.

Funeral service will be 2 p;.m. Tuesday, March 22,

at the United Methodist Church in Wells, with Rev. Art Keith officiating. Visitation will be held at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells today, March 21, from 4 to 8 p.m., and one hour prior to services at church on Tuesday. Interment will be in Freeborn Cemetery in Freeborn, with military honors by the Freeborn American Legion Post.

Bert was born on May 19, 1928, the son of John W. and Winnifred I. (Collins) McKean in Chicago, Ill He attended Orland Park High School and moved to Minnesota in 1946 where he worked with his dad on the farm. He was united in marriage to Myrna Stensrud on June 16, 1954, at Freeborn Congregational Church and was a former member of the church.

Bert served in the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, N.C., from 1951-1953. They lived in Austin from 1956-61 where he worked for Cities Service Gas and moved back to the farm near Freeborn in 1961. He was a school bus driver for Freeborn School and sold insurance for Farmers Mutual Insurance, served on the Board of Directors and was President of the company for many years. He was proud to be a 50-year member of the Gilmore-Stensrud American Legion Post 552 in Freeborn and was a member of the Wells United Methodist Church and had served as an usher. He was a charter member of the Oakview Golf Course and served on the board for many years and was a past member of the Freeborn Fire Department. He was a 4-H member and played softball and basketball with local teams. Bert enjoyed playing cards, cribbage, board games, and dominoes and loved to golf with his friends, family and grandchildren. He enjoyed watching the Twins, Gophers, Vikings, and Timberwolves. He was a fair and honest man who took pride in his family and his work and was a caretaker of his farm and later his yard. He enjoyed life and was thankful for all things.

Preceding him in death were his parents; one brother, Johnny; his mother- and father-in-law; one brother-in-law, Dale Stensrud; and several aunts and uncles.

Survivors include his wife, Myrna McKean of Freeborn; three sons: John and his wife

Marcia of Freeborn, Kevin (special friend Colleen) of Amarillo, Texas, and Christian (wife Stacy) of Geneseo, Ill.; two daughters: Susan (husband Gary) Lofthus of Alabaster, Ala., and Cathryn (husband Derek) Espy of North Mankato; 11 grandchildren: Benjamin, Matthew, Patrick and Melanie Lofthus, Keith McKean, Taylor and Bailey McKean, Kelcey and Kaylea McKean, and Cade and Brock Espy. two sisters: Virginia Cooper and Betty Schuster, both of Wells; brothers: David and wife Karen McKean of Alden, and Richard and wife Diane McKean of Blackduck, Minn.; and many nieces and nephews.