HOLTHUSEN, Arnold 1922-2003

HOLTHUSEN, JUNGE, FULLER, FREESE, GORTER, TOMS, RIPLEY

Posted By: Roseanna Zehner (email)
Date: 2/26/2003 at 11:23:14

Arnold Holthusen, 80, of Rock Rapids died unexpectedly Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003, at Merrill Pioneer Community Hospital.

Memorial services were Friday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rock Rapids, with inurnment in Riverview Cemetery.

Mr. Holthusen was born June 17, 1922, at Hull, the son of William and Frieda (Junge) Holthusen. He grew up on farms in the Hull, Edna and Rock Rapids areas where he attended country school. He worked on the farm before he began working as a heavy equipment operator for Hogan-Faber Construction. He later purchased earth moving equipment from Pat Buckley Construction.

On July 16, 1955, he married Lucile Fuller at Rock Rapids. They lived in Rock Rapids where he operated Holthusen Construction Co. They retired in 1984. They lived in Spirit Lake, Estherville and Ocheyedan during the summers and spent their winters in Texas until 1990. They returned to Rock Rapids in 1999.

His wife died Aug. 12, 2002.

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. LaMont (Marla) Freese and Kathy Holthusen, both of Rock Rapids, and Mrs. Ardell (Connie) Gorter of Robinsdale, Minn.; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; three brothers, Vernon and Virgil, both of Rock Rapids, and Wilmer of Albuquerque, N.M., and two sisters, Arlene Toms of Baxter, Minn., and Mrs. Les (Lucille) Ripley of Luverne, Minn.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; one son, Alan; one great-grandson, Justin Ryan; an infant brother, Alvin, and one sister, Selma Meiburg.