Obert Haldorson

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Funeral services for Obert Severin Haldorson, 81, of Austin, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Hayward Lutheran Church. The Rev. John Malm will officiate. Interment will be at Oakland Cemetery with military honors accorded by the Freeborn County veterans organizations. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Obert died Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.
Obert Severin Haldorson was born on April 13, 1927, to Albert and Martha (Holte) Haldorson. He grew up in Freeborn County and farmed as a young man. Obert entered the United States Army during World War II and served in the Corps of Engineers stationed in the Philippines. He was united in marriage to Mary Patricia Lewis on Jan. 8, 1966, at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Mankato. Obert was a conservationist for the Mower County Soil and Water Conservation District for 27 years. He loved his work and made the hard decision to retire in 1993. In November of 1994 he was elected as an SWCD supervisor for the Freeborn County SWCD. Obert was sworn in on Jan. 5, 1995. He continued in this position being re-elected several times, his current term was to expire in December 2010. Obert served many of those years as vice president or secretary for our district. He also served on several local committees and was the board’s representative to the Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance Organization and also represented Freeborn SWCD on the SE Minnesota Technical Support, Joint Powers Board. He also worked as a certified ditch viewer for Freeborn County and consulted with other counties for 13 years. Obert was a cornerstone member of the Trondhjem Lutheran Church, serving in many capacities including congregational president. 
He loved baseball and the Minnesota Twins and a good joke.
Survivors include his son, Robert Haldorson of Albert Lea; daughter, Sally Haldorson and her husband Mark Anderson of Milwaukee, Wis.; grandchildren, Alek Haldorson-Struck of Albert Lea, and Noah Anderson of Milwaukee, Wis.; brothers, Mel and wife Janet Haldorson of Austin, and Nordeene and wife Mary Lou Haldorson of Mankato; and several nieces and nephews.
Obert was preceded in death by his parents; and his wife, Pat.
Memorials are preferred to the Trondhjem Lutheran Church.