were living in the vicinity of Highlandville with relatives, he was confirmed in the Lutheran faith by Rev. TO. Tolo at Highland Lutheran Church, a congregation which was to become his second home. While still a teenager, Willard moved with his parents onto the farm of his cousin Oscar Rognes on Canoe Ridge where he eventually started his own business grubbing fields and cutting and selling wood. He later found employment working on farms throughout the area and on road construction crews, doing carpentry and cement work, and hauling milk and cream in the Highlandville, Spring Grove, MN and Mabel, MN areas. In 1944 he took on duties as the custodian of Highland Lutheran Church—a job which allowed him to become better acquainted with another of the congregation’s active members, llyn Ingvalson. On 30 Oct 1949 the two were married at Highland.

llyn Marietta Ingvalson was born 7 Aug 1910, the first of 8 children to Ole Gunvald (Cornelius) and Emma Louise (Grindeland) Ingvalson (See Ole and E. Louise (Grindeland) Ingvalson story) who lived on a farm 4 1/2 miles southwest of Spring Grove. Siblings to follow were: Grant, Leslie, Irvin, Byron, Marie, Ingolf and Harlan. Typical of many in that locale, llyn’s first language was Norwegian. She and her family were members of the predominantly Norwegian-American Highland Lutheran Church, llyn was confirmed in the Lutheran faith in English, however, by Rev. TO. Tolo. She was educated in school district #56 (Newhouse School) and Spring Grove High School from which she graduated in 1929. She then went into Spring Grove's Normal Training program and graduated the following year, 1930. She taught in rural schools throughout Houston Co. for 14 years.

Willard and llyn Musser on their wedding day (Oct. 30,1949) with attendants and ring bearer.

Left to right, back: Nathan ("Dutch”) Blegen, Marie Linderbaum, Edward Linderbaum, Llyn, Willard, Vi Blegen, Arthur Blegen and Harlan Ingvalson. Front: Donald Blegan.

Following their marriage Willard and llyn lived and farmed in Highland Twp. northeast of Highlandville for 8 1/2 years. They moved to the farm home of llyn’s parents near Spring Grove in 1958 and helped with farming there until 1964 when Ole Ingvalson died and the operation of the farm by the Ingvalson family was discontinued.

Mrs. Ingvalson and the Musser family maintained their adjoining residences on the Ingvalson farm for nearly 2 decades. In the years that followed Ole Ingvalson’s death Willard worked on several farms in the Spring Grove area helping farmers in their operations, while llyn worked as a mother and homemaker. In 1972 Willard resumed duties as custodian and groundskeeper of Highland Lutheran Church, a job he had discontinued a few years after the couple was married. He worked in that position until 1985 when the congregation finally convinced him that at age 81 he should not be performing such tasks as mowing, cleaning, and shoveling snow. Through those years he and llyn served the church in several capacities. He was president of the congregation and men’s organization and she was the Sunday School superintendent and president of the women’s organization, to name a few. Willard was the church custodian for a total of 22 years and llyn taught Sunday School for over 30 years (9 years of which she was also the superintendent).

Willard and Llyn (Ingvalson) Musser, 1992.

In 1981 llyn’s mother moved to a nursing home in Mabel. The Mussers continued to stay on the farm but after Mrs. Ingvalson’s death in 1987 the family decided to sell the property. So in the early winter of 1988 Willard and llyn became the first residents in a newly-built apartment complex designed for physically disabled persons in Spring Grove.

Willard died 18 Jan 1995 at age 90 in the Tweeten Memorial Hospital in Spring Grove, llyn remains a resident at the Tweeten Apartment where she and Willard lived together in the last years of his life.

Willard and llyn raised 4 children: Wayne married Violet Thiessen and has 3 children: Vicki, Lori and Tony. Wayne resides in Enid, OK; Ila  married and divorced Larry Haagenson. Has one child Brad and resides in Winona, MN; Elaine    married Dana Kjome and has 3 children: Heather, Trevor and Nathan and lives in Spring Grove; and William M.  lives in Decorah.