William Aanerud, 91, Albert Lea

Published 8:51 am Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Memorial services for William Howard Aanerud, 91, of Albert Lea will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. The Rev. Matt Griggs will officiate. Interment will be in Graceland Cemetery in the spring. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Bill died on Monday, March 18, 2013, at Clare Bridge of Plymouth.

William Aanerud

William Howard Aanerud was born on the family farm in central North Dakota on June 4, 1921, one of seven children to Carl and Anna (Finstad) Aanerud. Bill always enjoyed living with his parents and siblings during the early years of his life on the three family farms, in North Dakota, Canada and Minnesota. There were always chores to do and schools to attend. He went to eight years of country school in North Dakota and graduated from high school in Emmons. Activities he enjoyed as a youth included church, Sunday school, choir, band, 4-H clubs, skating, sledding, baseball, softball, hunting, fishing, bowling, golf and dancing. In 1934, the family settled in Freeborn County on the family farm. In 1942, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he served as a radio and radar mechanic for P47 fighter planes. He spent three years in England, France, Belgium and Germany. At the end of Word War II he returned to the United States and worked as city clerk/treasurer for the City of Albert Lea. Following that he worked as the court administrator of Freeborn County until his retirement.

On Dec. 23, 1945, Bill was united in marriage to Helen Sorenson at the Glenville parsonage. On March 1, 1986, he was married to Helen Gunderson at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. They both have preceded him in death. Bill was a member of Round Prairie Lutheran Church, then First Lutheran Church and later Central Freeborn, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. He volunteered for the Red Cross and liked reading, hiking and traveling. He took a trip to Norway and enjoyed visiting relatives there. Family was very important to Bill. During his retirement he joined with his siblings preparing a history entitled “A Pioneer Farm Family, Aaneruds in the Upper Midwest – 1900s.”

Survivors include his daughter, Barbara (William) Nelson; granddaughter, Kristine Nelson; step daughter, Phyllis (Wes) Nielsen; step-daughter-in-law, Denise Gunderson; step grandchildren, Charles Meuser, Patti Meuser, Ania (Mike) Keliher, Laura Gunderson and fiancé Chris Rahn and Ryan Gunderson; step-great-grandchildren, Kara Buechner, Nathan Buechner, Adam (Sarah) Meuser, Jacob Meuser and Tommy and Jackson Keliher; sister, Olga Schmitt; brother, James (Shirley) Aanerud; and many nieces and nephews.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, wives, Helen Sorenson and Helen Gunderson, step-son, Robert Gunderson, brothers, Arthur (Mabel), Clarence (Ann), Robert (Alta), Alan (Patricia) and other brothers and sisters-in-law.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the charity of the donor’s choice.