John Andrew Ditlevson, age 82, died Sunday morning at Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea. Memorial services will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Bonnerup Funeral Service Chapel, with visitation to precede at 1 p.m. The Rev. Kent Otterman will officiate. Military funeral honors will be observed. Ashes will be scattered at the family farm at a later date.
John was born Oct. 15, 1926, in Spokane, Wash., to Andrew and Martha (Anderson.) The family moved to Clarks Grove when John was 3 years old, and to the present family farm when John was 5. He graduated from ALHS in 1944, and served in WWII in the Philippines as an MP for a year guarding prisoners. Shortly after his discharge, he worked for his cousin Warren Ditlevson in Myrtle, farming. He later worked at Continental Founders for seven years and then for Wilson Foods for 28 years, retiring at 62.
He married Wilma Bennett in Albert Lea on Jan. 27, 1951. They dairy farmed for many years on the family farm in Clarks Grove, where they raised their six children. John enjoyed bowling and golfing, and was a member of the Wilson Golf League and Clarks Grove Golf League. He also thoroughly enjoyed watching his sons run cross country and track.
Survivors include his wife Wilma; daughters Roxann Ditlevson of Seattle, Wash., Marsha (Lynn) Reynolds of Dakota, Dawn (Curt) Kozitka of Detroit Lakes, and Joyce Lawlor of Milwaukee, Wis.; sons Andrew (Mary) Ditlevson of Sauk Rapids and Jay Ditlevson of Minneapolis; four grandsons Mike and Ben Reynolds and Paul and Mark Kozitka; granddaughter Emma Ditlevson; and three great-grandchildren Nicole, Jacob, and Avery; sister Ann (Harold) Greeley of Mason City, Iowa; and sisters-in-law Dorothy Bennett, Kathy Bennett and Dee Bennett. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother James in infancy, brothers-in-law Harry, Walter, Ellsworth, and Merrill Bennett and Verne Kelly, and sisters-in-law Phyllis Bennett, Lorrie Kelly and Mary Bennett.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Good Samaritan Society for their loving care of John for the past four years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Crossroads Community Hospice.