Orel Curtis Evenson, 95

Published 7:01 am Sunday, January 10, 2016

Evenson

Orel Curtis Evenson, 95, of Austin, Minnesota, died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at the Cedars of Austin.

Orel was born on July 20, 1920, in Lanesboro, Minnesota, to Arnold and Julia (Benson) Evenson. He graduated from Lanesboro High School and served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945. On Nov. 23, 1947, Orel married Geri Behrens in Austin, Minnesota. He worked at Hormel as a mechanic from June 24, 1939, until his retirement on Feb. 28, 1982.

Orel was a member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church and worked the St. Olaf Diner at the Mower County Fair for more than 50 years.

Orel and Geri had many foster children over the years. They loved fishing and invited everyone up to their lake cabin at St. Olaf Lake near New Richland. He loved children, loved to fix things, and loved to figure out how things worked. All of his nieces, nephews, and foster children by the score, have great memories of spending time in the water and on the water at the cabin. Most of all, Orel loved to spend time with his wife, Geri. He was a devoted husband as well as a second father to generations of loved ones.

Orel was preceded in death by his wife, Geri; parents, Arnold and Julia Evenson; brothers: Richard and Robert; and sister, Veryl Finch.

Orel was survived by his brother, Donald Evenson, Adams, Minnesota, who passed away two days later on Jan. 8, 2016; foster son, Lon (Janet) Newman, Park Falls, Wisconsin; Lon’s daughter, Rachel (Daniel) Shea and their three-month old son, Finnegan Foster Shea, Denver, Colorado; nieces, Debra Lingl, Auburn, Washington, niece, Sandra(Harlan) Greenlee; Greene, Iowa; nephews: Larry Behrens, Albert Lea, Minnesota, Ralph Timmerman, Tescott, Kansas, Eugene(Jane) Behrens, Calgary Canada, Richard (Sandi) Behrens, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Darwin (Elenor) Buus, Mitchell, South Dakota, and James (Dianna)Irish, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; grand-nephews: Brian Halsey, Austin, Minnesota, Jim Halsey, Austin, Minnesota; and grand-niece, Deneen Halsey Richter, Goodrich, North Dakota.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary Chapel with Todd Portinga, AiM officiating. Interment will be at Lanesboro Cemetery, Lanesboro, Minnesota. Military rites will be by Austin Post No. 91, American Legion. Visitation will be at Clasen-Jordan Mortuary on Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m. and on Wednesday for one hour prior to the service.