Omer Folven, 91, Albert Lea
Published 8:52 am Thursday, March 3, 2011
Memorial services for Omer J. Folven, of Albert Lea, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. The Rev. Dan Baker will officiate. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Bonnerup Funeral Service and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Kiester. Military honors will be accorded by the Albert Lea Area Veterans Organizations. Omer served in the Army Medical Corp during World War II and was stationed at Camp Upton, Long Island, N.Y.
Mr. Folven died Tuesday morning, March 1, 2011, at the Thorne Crest Retirement Center in Albert Lea. He was 91 years of age.
Omer was born March 9, 1919, near Kiester, the son of Gilbert and Alma (Fure) Folven. He graduated from High School in Rake, Iowa, and Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he attended on an athletic scholarship. On Aug. 19, 1939, he was united in marriage to Genevieve Moe in Scarville, Iowa.
Omer was confirmed at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Kiester and was currently a member of First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. He taught public school in Ackley, Iowa, and then in Blooming Prairie for six years. Together they purchased a farm near Austin where he farmed and worked for Hormel for over 35 years. Omer enjoyed coaching high school sports, spending time at the cabin near Grand Rapids traveling and attending the kids’ and grandkids’ sporting events.
Omer played baseball and football for Luther College. He also played baseball in the Southern Minnesota League with the Owatonna Indians and later the Austin Packers.
Omer is survived by his wife, Genevieve, of Albert Lea; children: Roger and his wife, Judy Folven, of Lake Mills, Iowa, Jon and his wife, Marcia Folven, of Oshkosh, Wis., Craig and his wife, Kathy Folven, of St Francis, Deb and her husband, Mike Smith, of Rochester, and Tammy and her husband, Tony Kimball, of Crosby; grandchildren include: Sally (Kelly) Wheeler, SuEllen Birkholz, Beth (Ashvin) Ragoonwansi, Angela (Mike) Dennis, Derek (Nikki) Folven, Jeffrey Folven, Kari (John) Lazarescu, Kenneth (Nicolle) Folven, Katie (Devlin) Roy, Jennifer (Kevin) Beier, Heather (Shane) Undeberg, Michael (Theresa) Schaefer, Nicholas Kimball, Kendra Kimball and Kayla Kimball. There are 27 great-grandchildren. Brothers and sisters include: Betty (Alonzo) Johnson of Albert Lea, Gladys Roe of Albert Lea, Janet (Carlyle) Engebretson of Kiester and Vernon (Sharon) Folven of Kiester.
Omer was preceded in death by his parents and brother, James Folven.