Gerald Velde

Gerald Jerome Velde was born January 28, 1918, the son of Tolerius & Ella Junette Velde, in Minnesota Falls Township. He was baptized on June 10, 1918 and confirmed on May 28, 1933 at Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church in Hanley Falls. He attended school in Red Top and graduated from the Hanley Falls High School. Gerald was united in marriage to Harriet Corinne Cole on June 1, 1941, at Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church. To this union 2 daughters and 1 son were born. Gerald was a devoted husband, loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend. He was a very progressive and innovative lifelong farmer near Hanley Falls. Gerald was a member of the Farmer's Co-op Elevator Board from 1966 until 1990, the Hazel Run Township Board, the Hanley Falls Co-op Lumber Company Board and Son's of Norway. He was also active at Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church serving on several boards. Gerald enjoyed farming, traveling, reading, Arizona winters, golfing, wood carving and was very proud of his Norwegian heritage. Gerald passed away on Friday, September 30, 2011, at the Granite Falls Hospital at the age of 93 years, 8 months, 2 days. He is survived by his wife of 70 years Harriet of Granite Falls; his children: Vonnie (Duane) Severson of Clarkfield; Tim (Connie) Velde of Granite Falls; Colleen (Rick) Hewitt of Granite Falls; grandchildren: Grant (Becky) Velde of Granite Falls; Kelli Velde & Michael McKinney of Chula Vista, California; Jacob (Gen) Velde of Pipestone; Amanda (Charles) Lecy of Hazel Run; Deanna Stahl, Kari (Michael) VanDenHemel and Charles (Heidi) Hewitt all of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Andrew (Heather) Hewitt of Windom; great grandchildren: Brooke & Tyson Velde; Hunter McKinney, Emma, Zoe & Caleb Velde; Hannah, William and Seth Lecy; Morgan Stahl; Kirsten, Megan, Sydney & Christopher VanDenHemel; Benjamin Gerald & Madelyn Hewitt; siblings: Leon (Gerry) Velde of Granite Falls and Ellayne (LeRoy) Velde-Conyers of Marshall; sisters-in-law: Artys Cole of Ellendale and Louise Cole of Saskatoon, Sask., Canada; aunts: Theola Velde and Frances Velde, and several nieces, nephews, and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents: Tolerius & Ella Velde and his father-in-law and mother-in-law: Christian & Helga (Slotten) Cole.