Fosness, Harland Lemar (1925-2014)

FOSNESS, FURE, ANDERSON, PETERSON, GOODEN, JOHNSON, SMITH, GILLARD, GREENBERG, ROGNES

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 5/10/2014 at 13:45:52

Harland Lemar Fosness
(August 18, 1925 - May 2, 2014)

U.S. Veteran Harland Lemar Fosness, 88, of Lake Mills, Iowa, formerly of the Dodge County, Minnesota, area, died on Friday, May 2, 2014, at the Lake Mills Care Center in Lake Mills, Iowa.

Harland Lemar Fosness was born on August 18, 1925, in Eden Township, Winnebago County, Iowa, to Leonard and Bernet (Fure) Fosness. Baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Thompson, he attended school in Thompson, Scarville, and Lake Mills, Iowa.

On September 19, 1942, Harland married Irene Anderson. They enjoyed fifty-two years together and had four children: Bonnie, Jon, Colleen, and Diane.

Harland enlisted in the United States Marine Corp on November 23, 1943. An amphibious tractor operator, he participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, and the Volcano Islands action on March 16, 1945.

Following his honorable discharge from the military, Harland began farming in the Lake Mills area. In 1954, the family moved to Dodge County, Minnesota. He was a member of the Minnesota Soybean Board, an NFO organizer, and a DFL delegate multiple times. Also a very active member of Faith Lutheran Church in Dodge Center, Minnesota, he served on the church council.

On April 16, 1997, Harland married Betty (Gooden) Peterson.

He loved antique tractor rides, tractor pulls, planting corn, in short anything to do with farming. Harland also enjoyed dancing, playing cards, and having coffee with friends and family. He always looked forward to completing the harvest so he could head to Texas where he spent winters for almost forty years.

Harland is survived by his wife, Betty, of Lake Mills; his children, Bonnie Johnson, of Rochester, Minnesota, Jon (Bev) Fosness, of Mantorville, Minnesota, Colleen Smith, of Hastings, Minnesota, and Diane (Jim) Gillard, also of Hastings, Minnesota; two brothers, Roger (Darlene) Fosness, of Owatonna, Minnesota, and Darus Fosness, of Los Angeles, California; a sister, Arneida Greenberg, of Los Angeles, California; nine grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; and a step-daughter, LaDonna (Harvey) Rognes, of Lake Mills, Iowa; as well as by two step-granddaughters; five step-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Irene; an infant brother, William; a sister, Mardel; and a great-grandson, Ross Johnson.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Tuesday, May 6, 2014, at Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Thompson, Iowa, with Pastor Katie Pals officiating. Burial will be in the Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted by the Northwood VFW Post #6779 and by the North Iowa Marine Corp League. Visitation will be on Monday, May 5, 2014, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 East Main Street, Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Tuesday.

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