The funeral service for Luverne “Swede” Wayne, of Geneva, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Community Lutheran Church in Geneva. The Rev. Carrie McElfresh will officiate. Interment will be in Geneva Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Bonnerup Funeral Service, Albert Lea, and one hour before the service at the church.

Swede died on Monday, Jan. 17, 2011, at St. John’s Lutheran Home. He was 86.

Swede was born on Sept. 4, 1924, at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea, the son of Chris J. and Mayme (Lestrude) Wayne.

He graduated from Ellendale High School. He married Zola I. Randall on Dec. 27, 1947, at the Ellendale United Methodist Church. A lifetime area farmer, Swede had also been a Farmers Mutual insurance agent and director for more than 13 years and also had served on the board of directors for Geneva State Bank for more than 20 years where he had held positions as president and vice president. He was a member of the Geneva Community Lutheran Church.

Swede loved farming and continued helping the Wayne family from Ellendale after his retirement. He was an avid sports enthusiast, having played fast pitch softball and was honored as a Freeborn County Softball Hall of Fame inductee.

His family fishing vacations to northern Minnesota and Canada were among his favorites. Getting together with his buddies for coffee at the Geneva Deli and playing a good game of cards were favorite pastimes for Swede.

He is survived by his wife, Zola; daughter, Vicki Richards of Geneva; grandchildren: Jena Thompson of Albert Lea, Megan ( Coop) Cooper of St. Paul and Brody (Katie) Richards of Albert Lea; great grandsons: Cole Thompson, Ethan Thompson, Jaxon Richards and Griffyn Richards all of Albert Lea; sisters-in-law: Dorothy Berntson of Camarillo, Calif., and Lavon “Bonnie” Nelson of Columbia, Calif.; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dale and Verona Winegar of New Richland; several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Swede was preceded in death by his parents, Chris and Mayme Wayne; son, Steven Wayne in 1991; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ralph and Myrtle Randall; sister-in-law, Marjean Thompson; brothers-in-law: Gene Berntson, Allen Thompson and Dan Nelson.