Michael Dan FJETLAND

FJETLAND, GUNSALLAS, PHILLIPS, BACK, HOWARD, THORSON, ANWAY, PETERS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/2/2014 at 13:33:45

January 5, 1962 --- December 8, 2013

Michael Dan Fjetland, 51, of Harmony, Minn., died Sunday, December 8th, 2013, as a result of an airplane crash in Los Alamos, NM. Michael was born January 5th, 1962, in Belmond, Iowa, to Larry & Ruby (Gunsallas) Fjetland. He lived at Corwith, Iowa, before moving with his family to a farm outside of LeRoy, Minn. in 1974. He graduated from LeRoy-Ostrander High School in 1980. Michael farmed near Harmony from 1980 to present. He also had worked at Hormel in Austin, Minn., for a few years at the start of his farming career. He had other business interests in Wyoming and Arizona. He married Susan Kay (Phillips) Fjetland on October 3, 1987, and they later divorced. They had two sons, Matthew and Lucas.

His passions were spending time with his sons and flying his planes. He will always be remembered for his famous hugs and his shenanigans. He was an incredible uncle who made sure he spent memorable times with each of his nieces and nephews. He will be extremely missed by all.

He is survived by his sons, Matthew Fjetland of Rochester, Minn, and Lucas Fjetland of Harmony; parents Larry & Ruby Fjetland of Edgemont, AR; sisters Julie Fjetland of Lake City, Minn. and Lori (Randy) Back of Fountain, Minn.; Nieces and nephews, Nicole (Jason) Howard of Spring Valley, Minn., Dustin Thorson (Gena Anway) of Kasson, Minn., Tyler Back of Fountain, Trista Back of Sioux Falls, SD, Danielle (Lance) Peters of Sioux Falls, SD, Makayla Fjetland of Zumbro Falls, Minn.; and great-neice and nephew Ayden and Emma Howard.

Visitation will be Sunday, Dec. 22nd, from 3-6 pm at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Spring Valley, MN. The funeral service will be held at 11 am on Monday, Dec. 23rd at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Spring Valley with Pastors Dennis Timmerman and Laura Fladten leading the service. There will be a luncheon at the church following the service. Burial will be in the spring with a private family ceremony.

Fillmore County Journal - Minnesota
December 17, 2013

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Plane that crashed at Los Alamos had just turned

LOS ALAMOS — Investigators say a small plane that crashed after takeoff from the Los Alamos airport had just made a sharp turn before it went down the morning of Dec. 8. The crash in a ravine near the airport destroyed the plane and killed both people aboard. They have been identified as 51-year-old Michael D. Fjetland of Harmony, Minn., and 52-year-old Kevin John Burrs of Corwith, Iowa. A National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report says two witnesses reported seeing the plane just before the crash. The preliminary report says one witness said the plane appeared out of whirling snow and then made a 180-degree turn. The second witness reported seeing the airplane at about 100 feet in the air and that it made a steep turn before it disappearing from sight.

Santa Fe New Mexican - NM