LaVern Pickle

LaVern M. "Curly" Pickle, age 86, of Paynesville and formerly of Atwater, died Monday evening, November 21, at CentraCare Hospital in Paynesville.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 26, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Military honors will be provided by the Willmar American Legion Post #545. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, November 25, at the Peterson Brothers Atwater Funeral Home in Atwater and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

LaVern Marvin "Curly" Pickle was born August 5, 1930, in Spicer, Minnesota, the son of Joseph and Ruby (Holmgren) Pickle. He grew up in the Atwater area, was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and graduated from Atwater High School in 1948. He enlisted in the United States Air Force on December 29, 1948, and served in the Philippines and Korea. On December 30, 1951, LaVern was united in marriage to Estelle Anna Duis and they made their home in the Atwater community. LaVern worked for DeRuyter Brothers Construction as a heavy equipment operator and mechanic. He went on to work for Johnson Brothers Construction as a mechanic and then for Holm Brothers of Atwater. After retirement, LaVern worked part time at the Koronis Hills Golf Course in Paynesville. LaVern enjoyed fishing, gardening and working at the Paynesville senior dining where he ran the dish washer. He was an active member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater.

He is survived by his wife, Estelle of Paynesville; five children, Steven (and Brenda) Pickle of Pelican Rapids, Jean (and Ron) Redig of Waterloo, IA; Robert (and Kathy) Pickle of Atwater, Jane Pickle of Willmar and Joani (and Todd) McNamara of Cedar Falls, IA.; twenty-three grandchildren and twenty-three great grandchildren. Also surviving are three sisters, Dorothy (and Ed) Bremer of Eden Prairie, Alice Alseth of Atwater and Leone Holmes of Plymouth, besides other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Ruby Pickle and two brothers-in-law, Robert Holmes and Les Alseth.

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