Sollien, Floyd S. 1929-2007
SOLLIEN, RAUK, SCHMITT, RUBEN, TORVIK
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 12/4/2012 at 15:37:24
Floyd S. Sollien, age 78, of Decorah, Iowa, died Saturday, August 11, 2007 at Wellington Place in Decorah of complications from cancer.
Funeral Services will be held at 10 A.M. Saturday, August 18, 2007 at First Lutheran Church in Decorah by Rev. Dan Thurmer and Rev. Steven M. Jacobsen with burial at a later date in Phelps Cemetery.
Friends may call from 4:00 – 7:00 P.M. Friday, August 17 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah and an hour prior to the services on Saturday at the church.
Floyd S. Sollien was born March 14, 1929, on the family farm near Spring Grove, Minnesota, the son of Syver and Florence (Rauk) Sollien. He graduated from Decorah High School in 1948. Floyd began work as a mason prior to joining the U.S. Army, where he saw active duty in Korea and Germany. Upon returning to Decorah in 1953, he was employed by the Decorah newspapers, where he met his future wife, Mary Lou.
He was united in marriage with Mary Lou Schmitt on March 5, 1955 in Davenport, Iowa. Together they raised three children: Judith, David and Steven.
In 1959, he began his career with the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. He received many honors during his years of service with the company, including membership in the Million Dollar Roundtable. He was appointed District Agent for the company and worked in that capacity until his retirement in 1994.
An avid traveler, Floyd and his wife visited China, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, the Americas, and Europe. His interest in family history lead him to Norway several times.
Always devoted to land stewardship, Floyd and his family planted thousands of trees on his farm. His involvement in the American Tree Farm Systems included service at the state and national levels. He and his wife were named the top tree farmers in the state in 1988. In 1994, they received the American Forest Foundation Award as one of the four best tree farmers in the nation. Though he loved traveling, golfing, fishing, and reading, those activities were less important to him than his love of trees. As he often said, “In a hundred years no one will know we golfed, but maybe someone will know we planted trees”.
His memberships included First Lutheran Church in Decorah, First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, Florida, Helof Holm V.F.W. Post No. 1977 and Bernatz-Symonds American Legion Post No. 163 of Decorah, Great Lights Masonic Lodge of Decorah, Oneota Golf and Country Club, Bonita Bay Golf Club in Bonita Springs, American Tree Farm Systems and the American Forest Foundation.
In May of 2007 Floyd became a resident of Wellington Place in Decorah where he died on Saturday, August 11 of complications from cancer.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Lou of Decorah, a daughter, Judy Ruben, of Minneapolis, MN; two sons, David (Julia) Sollien of Minneapolis and Steve (Christine Hoffman) Sollien of Black River Falls, WI; two grandsons, Fred and Harry Torvik and their father, Peter Ole Torvik, of Hopkins, MN; two brothers, Everett (Lois) Sollien, of Mabel, MN and Arden (Pat) Sollien, of Rochester, MN; two aunts; and several nieces and nephews.
Floyd was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials may be given to Trout Run Trail Fund, % Winneshiek County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1176, Waterloo, Iowa 50704 or The Forestry Enhancement Fund, Attn: Forestry Bureau Chief, Wallace State Office Building, 502 E. 9th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319.
Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database
Phelps Cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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