Milton Edwin Haroldson, 86, died of natural causes Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, at home.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Round Prairie Lutheran Church, with visitation with the family to begin at 10 a.m.

Milt was born to Arman and Marie Haroldson on April 5, 1933, at home in rural Freeman Township, Freeborn County. He lived in the Glenville area all of his life, 64 years on the farm on South Broadway.

Finally persuaded to leave country life when he could no longer drive, he and his wife, Eva (Holstad), built a twin home on the northern edge of Albert Lea.

Milt was a faithful member of Round Prairie Lutheran Church all of his life.

He found and married his lifelong dance partner, Eva (Holstad) Porter, on June 2, 1973, at Grace Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. He also married her family of four teenagers, Craig Allen, Cathy Ann, Dennis James  and David John. The quintessential Norwegian bachelor farmer living with his mother, he had no idea what he was getting into. All survived the experience and became a close, loving family.

Milt was an expert sawyer — building portable sawmills from scratch, repaired and sharpened saws for others, and worked on site in many woods in the area, logging and sawing many board feet of lumber. He was also an expert machinist and welder. Earlier in life he was a farmer and drove bulldozers, specializing in shoulder finishing, when the interstate highway system expanded into southern Minnesota.

He is survived by his wife, Eva; stepchildren Cathy, Dennis and David and their spouses; sisters Gail and Jean (Hoffmann) Porter, and Steve Bonine; grandchildren Jasmine, Lauren, Erin, Caitlin and Nathan Porter; and many nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved dearly.

Milt is preceded in death by his grandparents Torger and Petra Haroldson; grandparents Edward and Ida Stewart; parents Arman and Gladys Marie (Stewart) Haroldson; his sisters Dawn (Jack) Freeland, Florence (Lloyd) LaCore and Norma (James) Goskeson; neice, Diane Olsen; parents-in-law John and Edith Holstad; sister-in-law, Helen Holstad; brother-in-law, Ernest Bergo; and stepson, Craig Porter.

Milt was a gentle man — loved by family, friends and neighbors.