Ella Brynjulfson

Ella Brynjulfson was born the youngest child to Christ Peter ‘Pete’ Christensen and Anna Johanna (Howe) Christensen on July 3, 1923.  She passed into her eternal rest at age 96 on June 27, 2020 at the Galeon in Osakis, MN with her son and daughter at her side.

Ella grew up in rural Long Prairie and attended Long Prairie High School.  On October 25, 1941 she was united in marriage to Leif Marino Brynjulfson at the Bethel Lutheran Parsonage near Osakis, MN.  During their early married life they resided on the Bill Linville farm where Leif was employed in a very small travel trailer-type house only about 8’ x 12’.  There was room for a bed, a table that folded and hooked on the wall, two chairs and a small stove and closet.  Ella raised a garden and canned vegetables and meat in a borrowed steamer on a small wood cooking/heating stove.  Laundry was done on a scrub board in a washtub and basin.  Such were the times shortly before and during World War II.  Later, Leif worked for Tom Sursley and they resided near their farm for approximately six months.  They rented one year on the C.P.Christensen farm.  In 1944 they rented the John Reitan farm in Gordon Township, Todd Co., and two years later purchased it.  Ella always raised a garden, worked as a farm wife and prepared many meals and lunches for the various farm workers throughout the years.  She enjoyed making meals for family group birthday parties with each celebrant having their own cake.  She liked doing needlework, quilt making, writing poetry, painting scenes and especially working in her garden.  Ella was an avid reader and enjoyed many bags of books weekly from the public library in her later years.  She like non-fiction and historical novels and she kept up with current events and politics.  Ella had a love for her country and often prayer for its leaders.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Long Prairie, MN.  In her younger years she had served in various offices of the Ladies Aide at the United Methodist Church in Osakis.  She also taught Sunday School and Release Time religion classes.  She served as a 4-H leader of the Peppy Peppers Club of Osakis.  Ella resided on their Gordon Township farm for 75 years until October of 2019 when she moved into the Terrace Heights Apartments.  She loved her family, daughter and son-in-law, Anna & Dennis Pastian of Osakis and son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Gayle Brynjulfson of Osakis; her six grandchildren, Bryan Brynjulfson, Jennifer Beltz, Douglas Pastian, Amy Sithiphong, Darren Pastian and Melanie Lindner; 18 great grandchildren and 4 great, great grandchildren who were all very special to her.  She is preceded in death by her husband, Leif in 2006, her parents, brothers, Christ, Alfred and Albert Christensen and sisters, Ethel Sammons, Marie Opager, Gertrude Binder and Annie Pederson.

Those who loved her will miss her.

Funeral services will take place on what would have been her 97th birthday, Friday, July 3, 2020 at 1:00 pm at First Baptist Church in Long Prairie with Pastor Matt Stacey officiating.  Soloist will be her daughter, Anna Pastian. A gathering time begins at the church at 12 Noon.  Interment is at Evergreen Cemetery in Long Prairie next to her husband with casketbearers Douglas, Darren and Jaden Pastian, Bryan, Mitchell Brynjulfson, Zane Beltz, Andrew Lindner, Nicholas Sithiphong.  Arrangements by Roy-Hetland Funeral Home, Osakis, MN.