Garfield M. "Gus" HALVERSON

HALVERSON, WICKS, MEINTS, DOLLINGER, FLEMING, ROSETH, WILHAM, BRUNES, BORQUEZ

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/2/2009 at 10:22:03

BELMOND - Garfield "Gus" M. Halverson, age 84, of Belmond passed away Thursday (Jan. 29, 2009) at the Belmond Health Care Center. Funeral services for Gus Halverson will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 2, at St. Olaf Lutheran Church west of Belmond. The Rev. James Gochenouer will officiate. Burial will take place in St. Olaf Lutheran Church Cemetery. Visitation for Gus Halverson will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. today at the Dugger Funeral Home, 111 Luick's Lane S. in Belmond, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Monday. Memorials in Garfield M. Halverson's name may be made to the St. Olaf Lutheran Church Cemetery Association, Wright County Hospice and/or the St. Olaf Lutheran Church.

Gus was born Nov. 29, 1924, at his rural Kanawha home, to Garfield Theodore and Millie Helena (Wicks) Halverson. He grew up on this family farm and it was a major part of his life until 2007. He attended country school through the eighth grade and was a 1942 graduate of Belmond High School. Gus married Esther Loretta Meints on Jan. 27, 1946, at her parents' home in Belmond. They raised three children: Leslie, Curtis and Mary. Esther died on Jan. 4, 1998. Gus married Shirley Martha Dollinger Fleming on Aug. 26, 2000, at St. Olaf Lutheran Church and became stepfather to LuAnn, Christine and Michael. Gus was a life-long farmer living on or near the family homestead for more than 82 years. In the summer of 2007, he and Shirley moved from the Kanawha farm to Belmond. Gus devoted much of his time to St. Olaf Church where he was baptized and confirmed. He applied his interest in genealogy to assisting in the preparation of the St. Olaf Centennial book. He was instrumental in the upkeep and expansion of the St. Olaf Cemetery. Gus also loved to golf with his closest friends whenever he had the chance. He will be best remembered by his witty sense of humor and his warm hugs.

Gus is preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Esther; brothers, Melvin and Ervin; sister, Herma; brother-in-law, Brandon Roseth; and nephew, Douglas Roseth. Survivors include his wife Shirley; sons, Leslie (Katie) Halverson of Battle Ground, Wash., and Curtis Halverson of Fort Dodge; daughter, Mary Kay (Bruce) Wilham of Jamestown, Ky.; brother, Merlin (Marcella) Halverson of Kanawha; sister-in-law, Peggy Halverson of Belmond; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; step-daughters, LuAnn (Steve) Brunes of Belmond and Christine (John) Borquez of Denver, Colo.; stepson, Michael Fleming of Denver, Colo.; nine stepgrandchildren; four stepgreat-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Dugger Funeral Home, 111 Luick's Lane S., Belmond.

Mason City Globe Gazette, Iowa
February 1, 2009