Eugene Flaten

Eugene Norris Flaten, age 81, of Sunburg, died Monday afternoon, August 14, at the St. Cloud Area Hospital.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, August 20, at Hope Lutheran Church in Sunburg with Rev. Timothy Wheatley officiating. Interment will be at West Norway Lake Lutheran Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by VFW Post 1825 of Belgrade. Visitation will be from 7-9 P.M. on Saturday and one hour prior to the service at the church. Funeral arrangements are with the Sunburg Funeral Home.
Eugene was born on July 8, 1925, near Sunburg, Minnesota, the son of Oliver and Celia (Swenson) Flaten. He grew up and received his education in the rural Swift Falls community and was baptized and confirmed at Rolling Forks Lutheran Church in Swift Falls. He began farming with his family, worked at the Swift Falls Co-Op as a truck driver and sticker and later at Lake Lillian Silo Company as a truck driver. On May 7, 1952, he was married to Pearl Glenora Evenson and they moved to Seattle, WA. Later that year, Eugene entered the U.S. Army and served overseas during the Korean War. Following his discharge, he was employed with the American Can Company in Seattle until 1970, when they moved to Sunburg. In 1981, he owned and operated Sunburg Livestock Hauling and later worked for Best Line Co., of Hudson, WI., as a OTR truck driver, retiring in 1994. His wife, Glenora, died in 1996. He was a member of Hope Lutheran Church and the Belgrade V.F.W. Post and a former member of the Sunburg Volunteer Fire Department. Eugene enjoyed fishing, playing the violin, baking from scratch, working with his hands and just being outdoors.
He is survived by his two sons, Gerald Flaten and Gregory Flaten, both of Sunburg; one brother, Vernon Flaten of Benson and one sister, Sandra (and Jerald) Fiebranz of Alexandria, besides other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; one brother, Ronald and one sister, Doris.