Curtis A. Brill

Curtis Brill, 89, a resident of Fergus Falls, formerly of New York Mills, died Monday, January 13, 2014 at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls.

Curtis Anton Brill was born on June 11, 1924 in Newton Township, Otter Tail County, the oldest of eight children born to Cela Arthur and Mabel Jane (Welter) Brill. Curtis attended country school through the eighth grade.

After completing the eighth grade, Curtis worked as a farmhand until his enlistment into the Army on October 7, 1944 at Fort Snelling, MN. He served with the 86th Army Division, Battery A, 331st Field Artillery Battalion and departed by troop ship for the Pacific Theater of Operations on April 28, 1945. He arrived in the Philippines on May 17, 1945 and was involved in the Luzon campaign. Curtis served as an officers’ cook for 14 months until September 30, 1946. On November 27, 1946, Curtis received an honorable discharge from the Army at Fort Sheridan, IL.

Following his military service, Curtis worked as a farmhand in the Bertha, MN area. On February 26, 1949, Curtis married Arvilla Warner at Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wadena, MN. Later that year they purchased a farm in Homestead Township and farmed there for over 50 years starting out with sheep, pigs, chickens and dairy cattle and later raised beef cattle. He attended GI school in Sebeka, MN and studied animal husbandry and farming. In his early years on the farm, Curtis, in partnership with a cousin, cut and sold railroad ties. He had a passion for logging and woodworking and he eventually bought his own sawmill and planer to make lumber for farm use and for furniture and craft projects. He also cut and sold poplar 2 X 4’s to Lund Boat works for a few years.

Curtis served on the school board of Homestead Township and was their treasurer prior to the country school being closed. He was also a lifetime member of the VFW.

He loved to hunt and fish and he took his family on several fishing trips to Canada. He became a self-taught taxidermist and had many bird, deer and small animal mounts.

In 2007 Curtis and Arvilla moved into New York Mills. In 2008 they both moved into Fair Oaks Apartments in Wadena. Later he moved to Fair Oaks Lodge in Wadena. In October of 2013 he transferred to the MN Veterans Home in Fergus Falls where he passed away.

Curtis loved spending time with his grandsons and his nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his parents; wife, Arvilla; brother, Marlin and two sisters, Claretta Vandermay and LaVern Matti.

Survivors include his daughter, Linda (John) Wright of Erhard; grandsons, Matthew (Kathryn) Wright of Itascocita, TX and Mitchell (Leslie) Wright of Fergus Falls; two sisters, Joan Smith of Nampa, ID and Rachel Eklund of New York Mills; two brothers, Robert Brill of Las Vegas, NV and Roger (Sandy) Brill of New York Mills. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews and their families.

Memorials are preferred to Lakeland Hospice.

Visitation: One hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
Memorial Service: 1 p.m. Saturday, January 18, 2014 at the Olson Funeral Home chapel, Fergus Falls.
Clergy: Reverend Brad Soenksen
Military Participation: Fergus Falls V. F. W. Post 612 and American Legion #30