The funeral service for Wayne Sime of Albert Lea, former Kiester area farmer, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mansfield Lutheran Church. The Rev. Don Rose will officiate. Interment will be in Mansfield Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bonnerup Funeral Service, Albert Lea, and one hour before the service at the church.

Wayne, a descendent of Norwegian immigrants, was born on Oct. 27, 1918, in Winnebago County, Iowa, the son of Olaf and Andrine (Hauge) Sime. He was baptized and confirmed in Bethel Lutheran Church near Vinge, Iowa. He attended Scarville School, finishing the eighth grade, before starting farming with his father O. J. Sime and other family members. On June 26, 1942, he married Adelaine Baer at Mansfield Lutheran Church. To this union three children were born: Wesley in 1943, Andrea in 1949 and Melodee in 1954. Together they farmed three miles east of Kiester for 40 years. In 1982, the marriage between Adelaine and Wayne dissolved.

Wayne was a very good steward of the land that he loved and farmed and was very active in cattle feeding. He was dedicated to the community having served on the Kiester Elevator Board, the Rural Electrical Association Board, as a 4-H leader, and was active in the Mansfield Church Brotherhood. He is included in the World War II Registry in Washington for gallant efforts in producing food for the troops and for the country in time of need.

He married Erlis (Meyers) Kennelly on Dec. 31, 1982. She was his good friend and partner for the last 25 years. They traveled frequently and enjoyed polka dancing and square dancing together.

Near the end of his farming career, he was an adventurer who started his own seed production company. In 1985 during the farm crisis, Wayne and Erlis helped organize a letter writing campaign to lobby our legislators at both the state and federal levels to help many of his friends and neighbors save their farms.

After he retired from farming, Wayne took an avid interest in Volunteers Overseas Cooperative Association, traveling to the former Soviet Block country of Latvia to help small farmers gain technical knowledge about farm equipment so they might convert the large collective farms to individual productive acreages. On a small plot south of Albert Lea, he also began raising chemical-free vegetables in his passionate concern for the health of the community.

He also enjoyed volunteering for Ride Services, and being involved in the activities at the Senior Center in Albert Lea.

Wayne died on Saturday, March 8, 2008, at Oak Park Place in Albert Lea where he had been a resident for the past two years.

Wayne will be sadly missed by his family, wife Erlis of Albert Lea, children: Wesley (Maxine Fritch) Sime of Lincoln, Neb., Andrea Sime (Craig MacPhee) also of Lincoln, Neb., Melodee (Tom) Mattson of Ellendale; grandchildren: Natalie Sime (Brandon Wood) and daughter Danika of Denver, Colo., Krister (Jennifer) Mattson and daughter Emersyn of Duluth, Anders (Lynsee) Mattson both at college, three step-grandchildren: Paul (Margaret) MacPhee of Vancouver, Wash., Heather (Chris) Ryan of Tujunga, Calif., Rob (Ashley) MacPhee of Gaithersburg, Md., five step-great grandchildren: Jon, Kenny, Connor, Cameron and Kara;

sister Marjorie Fjone of Kiester, sisters-in-law: Elaine Sime of Kiester and Evelyn Sime of Mpls and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition, Wayne was step father and step grandfather to Erlis&8217;s adult children: Paul (Lynette) Kennelly of Altus, Okla., and their families, Susan Cameron of Oklahoma City, Okla., and her families and Craig (Wendy) Kennelly of Boulder City, Nev., and family.

He was preceded in death by his parents O.J. and Andrine (Hauge) Sime; his brothers: John (infant death), Sylvan (Sib), Milton (Jim) and Clifford Sime; and his sisters: Olive Wogen, Norma Fure and Alma Flo.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to the Kiester Fire Department, Kiester Ambulance, Kiester Library of the Kiester Park Fund.