Funeral services for Roland Melvin Trogstad, 83, of Albert Lea, will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at First Lutheran Church. The Rev. Dan Baker will officiate. Interment will be at Hillcrest Cemetery. Visitation was from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Roland died Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009, at St. John’s Lutheran Home.
Roland Melvin Trogstad was born on Feb. 2, 1926, to Orin and Myrtle (Larson) Trogstad in Albert Lea. He grew up in the Freeborn County area where his family farmed, first by Twin Lakes and then in the Hartland area. He attended District 98 and 102 grade schools and high school in Freeborn. After school, Roland went to work for Albert Lea Foundry and continued there until his retirement. On July 10, 1950, Roland was united in marriage to Evelyn Ingvaldson at The Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. Through the years Roland and Evelyn opened their home to over 35 children in foster care. After Roland’s retirement from the foundry he worked in the maintenance department at Shopko. Roland was a member of First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. He enjoyed traveling to the Black Hills and Canada, and watching old movies on television.
Survivors include his brother, Marvin (Donna) Trogstad of Mora and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Roland was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Evelyn; sister, Merelda (Merlin) Seath; one brother in infancy, Leslie Orville; sisters and brothers-in-law, Irvin, Oliver and Clifford Ingvaldson, Mabel Jensen and Kristine Horan.