Alice Halvorson

Alice Evelyn (Lokken) Halvorson, 91, formerly of Dalton, died Tuesday, December 22, 2009, at The JoHannah House near Ashby, Minnesota, as the result of osteoporosis that plagued her for many years. Alice was born January 23, 1918, in Folden Township of Otter Tail County, the youngest of eleven children to Mekkel and Sigrud (Watnaas) Lokken. She was baptized and confirmed in Folden Lutheran Church. She grew up in Folden Township near Vining, Minnesota, attending school (grades 1-8) in District #240, and South High in Minneapolis in 9th grade. She graduated from LaSalle (Wayne) Correspondence School in 1968, and also took a Practical Nursing correspondence course while working full time. She married Bert Arnold Halvorson of Vining on December 3, 1936, in Waseca, MN. After their marriage, the couple farmed in the Vining and Ottertail areas. In the early years, Alice was employed doing housework for Johnsons and Dr. Solberg of Parkers Prairie, and Brustuens of Henning. She was a waitress at Bondy’s Café and Sinclair Café in Henning, and the Leaf Lakes Pavilion. She cleaned cabins at Balmoral near Ottertail and cleaned turkeys in Battle Lake. Following Bert’s nonfatal heart attack she worked briefly at Northwestern Airlines in Minneapolis before the couple moved to Sauk Centre, where she was employed at the Sarepta Home for the Aged as a nurses aid, then charge nurse, and finally matron. In 1966 Alice and Bert moved to Fergus Falls where she was employed at Broen Memorial Home, then the Lutheran Brethren Publishing Company and Store as bookkeeper, and later at Enstad Larson Mann as their bookkeeper. In 1970 Alice and Bert moved to Devils Lake, ND, where Alice was Administrator of the Good Samaritan Home and coordinated several building projects until her retirement on July 1, 1980, when they moved to Dalton, Minnesota. Bert died as the result of an accident in 1987. In 1998 Alice moved to Fergus Falls, but returned to Dalton in 1999, staying there until 2006 when she moved again to Fergus Falls to live at the Alcott Manor Assisted Living. She later moved to The JoHannah House near Ashby, receiving additional care from Lakeland Hospice. Alice was active at Zion Free Lutheran Church, serving as their treasurer for over twenty years, and was a member of the Zion WMF. She was a member of the Lake Region Thresherman’s Association, the Sons of Norway, the Dalton Senior Citizens, and the Lady Bugs, a Dalton Garden Club. Alice crocheted afghans and numerous other items for her family, friends, and the church. She often sang in the early years for her family and church. As a self taught pianist, she often played the piano for numerous occasions throughout her life and career. Alice was a caring person who was ready to care for her brothers and sisters too. She loved to read, play card games, and work crossword puzzles. Her family remembers her doughnuts, lefse, and other Norwegian foods and dishes she prepared, as well as teaching her family how to make them. She is survived by two sons, Curtis (Janice) Halvorson, Belgrade, MT, and John (Iolene “Dodie”) Halvorson, Dalton, MN, and one daughter, Kathryn (Steven) Johnson, Bemidji, MN; nine grandchildren: Lynda (Mark) Dutiel, Belgrade, MT, Nancy (Steven) Harrel, Kalispell, MT, Craig Halvorson, Stevensville, MT, Mark (Kay) Halvorson, Belgrade, MT, Rebecca (William) Sonmor, Dalton, MN, Erick (Lisa) Halvorson, Red Lake Falls, MN, Jennifer (Jon) Johnson, Dalton, MN, Randy (Jody) Johnson, Woodbury, MN, and Brian (Jennifer) Johnson, Minneapolis, MN; nineteen great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Edna Myers, Parkers Prairie, MN; one sister-in-law, Rubye Uhren, Vining, MN, one brother-in-law, Rudolph Halvorson, Henning, MN; and several nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Bert Halvorson in 1987; an infant granddaughter, Anne Bergetta Halvorson; five sisters, Mina Linrud, Selma Treynor, Seline Shanahan, Ann Rakstad, and Mathilda Gust; four brothers, Oliver Lokken, Julius Lokken, Ingvald Lokken, and Melvin Lokken; a special nephew, Donald Lokken; six sisters-in-law, ten brothers-in-law, three nieces and two nephews. Visitation: 5-7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home with a 6:30 p.m. prayer service, and resumes one hour prior to the service at the church Service: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 29, 2009, at Zion-Sarpsborg Free Lutheran Church in Dalton Clergy: Reverend Mark Johnson Interment: Zion Cemetery, Dalton Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls Condolences may be sent online at www.olsonfuneralhome.com