Calvin Abers

LIFE HISTORY FOR CALVIN ABERS
Calvin W. Abers, age 87 of Osakis passed away on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at the Douglas County Hospital in Alexandria, MN.
Calvin William Abers was born the day after Christmas, December 26, 1921 in Osakis, MN, the son of Earl and Louise (Christensen) Abers. At the age of 18, Calvin was united in marriage to Marguerite Ann Peterson in Long Prairie, MN. One of the first jobs Calvin had was delivering ice to local homes and business after cutting it off of the frozen Lake Osakis during the winter months. He then took a job working for the Osakis Silo Company in Peoria, Illinois building metal roofing for farm silos. During World War II Calvin moved to Provo, South Dakota where he found work in a munitions factory building ammunition bunkers. After also working for the railroad repairing tracks, Calvin returned to the Osakis area in 1948 and bought a 40 acre farm east of Osakis in Gordon Township. The Abers also farmed near Westport, MN for a few years before returning to the Gordon farmstead. Calvin was a jack-of-all-trades and put all of his energy into whatever he was doing. He did custom combine work for many years and also dealt in scrap iron. He retired in 2005 and shortly afterward moved into the Knute-Nelson Home in Alexandria, MN.
Besides working outdoors and cutting wood, Calvin also liked to go fishing and traveling.
Calvin was a member of the Sauk Valley Lutheran Church and served on the church board.
He is survived by his children, Calvin G. (Joyce) Abers of Osakis, James (Joan) Abers of Alexandria, Charles (Janie) Abers of Charlottesville, VA, Tonoa 'Toni' (Robert) Herrebrugh of The Hague, Holland; 10 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; a brother, Frank (Darlene) Abers of Westport, MN and a sister, Thelma Sohns of Blaine, MN; many nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death are his parents, his wife, Marguerite in 1996, an infant daughter, a great granddaughter, Cagney Reis and three brothers, George, Herman and Lee Abers.
Funeral services for Calvin were held on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 11:00 am at the Sauk Valley Lutheran Church in rural Osakis with Rev. Ron Calvert officiating. Organist was Ione Johnson. Interment was at the church cemetery with honorary pallbearers being his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Active pallbearers were John Larson, Dan Hagen, David Larson, Phil Larson, Karl Larson and Tom Mikkelson.
Arrangements were with the Roy-Hetland Funeral Home in Osakis, MN.