Leland Durst

Leland Linton Durst, age 91, of Willmar, passed away on Sunday evening, Dec. 30, at Rice Therapy Suites in Willmar.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5, at Living Hope Church in Willmar.  Interment will be at Summit Cemetery in Morris.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 4, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar and will continue for one half hour prior to the service.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Willmar Area Community Foundation's Friends of Robbins Island Fund.

Leland Linton Durst was born at home in Chokio, MN on July 19, 1927 to Jacob and Anna Rose Durst.  He was the youngest of  eight children. Leland  served in the United States  Army for 18 months and  was honorably discharged in 1945 with a rank of corporal. As a 1948 graduate from Macalester College, he gained employment with the 1st National Bank in the Twin Cities. June 16, 1952 he married Heidi Pawlick- Hoffmann and they were united in marriage until her death on March 11, 1997. In 1973, Leland began working for the Bremer Bank Corporation and remained with Bremer until retiring in Willmar, MN. Throughout his lifetime, Leland modeled servanthood by volunteering for various civic organizations in his community. He loved camping with his family, gardening, woodworking, remodeling homes, fishing and hunting, and enjoyed playing the harmonica and accordion. Leland died peacefully on December 30, 2018.

He is preceded in death by his parents, seven siblings, and his beloved wife, Heidi.

He is survived by his five children and their spouses; eight grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.