Lester Orres Molde 1919 - 2014

MOLDE, HILL, CHRISTIAN, HELLAND, KREUTNER, JENSON, KRAUS, FOREHAND, LINBERG

Posted By: Linda H Meyers (email)
Date: 3/9/2014 at 14:16:48

Obituary

Lester Molde

Lester Orres Molde, 94, passed away Saturday, February 22, 2014 at Oakwood Villa Nursing Home in Altoona, Wisconsin. Lester was born October 24, 1919 to Jacob and Cora (Hill) Molde at the “Hill’s place” in Howard Township near Nevada, Iowa.

Lester served in the U.S. Army in WWII as First Lieutenant in Battery D, 168th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AW) Battalion from October 28th, 1943 to May 16, 1946. He received several decorations and citations serving in the Asiatic Pacific WWII Theater. Lester married Edith Helen Christian of Roland, Iowa in November, 1943.

Lester grew up on a 200 acre farm south of Roland, Iowa where they grew corn and beans, milked short horns and raised hogs. He graduated salutatorian at Milford High School in 1937. Lester had one brother and four sisters. After the war he farmed in the McCallsburg, Iowa area and also hauled milk for a Roland area creamery. In 1960 Lester and Edith moved their family to Chetek, Wisconsin and operated a 120 acre dairy farm. Until his retirement in 1985, Lester also worked briefly as the Prairie Lake Township Assessor, several years with the Barron County ASCS, the Soil Conservation Service, and as an insurance agent with Barron County Mutual.

In his spare time, Lester engaged himself in community service volunteering with 4-H teaching leather craft for 20 years, providing bible studies at various area nursing homes in Chetek, Dallas, and Barron. He was also active in his church.

Lester enjoyed leather craft, woodworking, working with animals, raising trout in his ponds and gardening (especially raspberries). He loved life and took joy in providing encouragement to others.

Lester was a faithful, loving husband and an awesome father and grandfather. He loved hearing as well as telling jokes. He lived the phrase “life is good” long before it became a popular saying.

Lester is preceded in death by his sister Corrine, parents Ted and Cora Molde, infant daughter Rosemary and his wife Edith. He leaves to celebrate his memory: brother, Kermit Molde (Joanne), Story City, IA, 3 sisters, Grace Helland (Jim), Story City, IA, Dorothy Kreutner, Ames, IA, Shirley Jenson, Aurora, CO, 4 children, Lauri Kraus (Bob), Fairplay, CO, Ruth Forehand (Wayland), Chippewa Falls, WI, Bob Molde(Nancy), Eau Claire, WI, Rosalie Linberg (Roger), Elk Mound, WI, 8 grandchildren- James Forehand (Amy) ,Richland Center, WI, Rob Kraus (Valarie), Parker, CO, Jessica Thomas (Ray), Tucson, AZ, Josh Kraus (Robyn), Elizabeth, CO, Angela Young (Curt), Barron, WI, David Forehand, Black Earth, WI, Kirsten Molde, Minneapolis, MN, Mattea Linberg, Elk Mound, WI and 9 great grandchildren- Antoine Schneider, Elizabeth Forehand, Autumn Kraus, Trent Forehand, Grace Thomas, Brendan Kraus, Jack Thomas, Alexander Forehand, Amber Kraus and Alexander Forehand.

The funeral service for Lester were held on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Prairie Lake Covenant Church at 1:00 p.m. Lester’s family greeted visitors at the church from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service. The family invited their guests to join them for lunch and fellowship following the service.

Lester will be laid to rest at the Wayside Cemetery in Barron with military honors provided by the Howard-Campbell-Ganske American Legion Post 179 of Chetek in the spring

The family would like to thank the staff at Oakwood Villa Nursing Home in Altoona for the loving care and attention they gave him.

Memorials preferred to Prairie Lake Evangelical Covenant Church.

The Burnham-Ours-Kolstad Family Funeral Home of Chetek has been entrusted with arrangements.