Samuel Holmgren

Samuel Holmgren, age 80, of Atwater, died Wednesday afternoon, November 15, at Meeker Manor in Litchfield.

Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 18, at Rosendale United Methodist Church in rural Atwater. The church is handicap accessible. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Friday, November 17, at Peterson Brothers Atwater Funeral Home and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. Memorials are preferred to the Rosendale United Methodist Church Cemetery, Atwater Area Help for Seniors, Let's Go Fishing, or the donor's choice.

Samuel John Holmgren, the only child of Samuel and Clara (Anderson) Holmgren, was born November 4, 1937 at the brand new Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, Minnesota. He spent his first five years on a farm west of Cosmos, before moving with his family to their home in Lake Elizabeth Township in 1942. He attended country school and Atwater High School, graduating with the class of 1955.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a 17 year old and received his training at the Great Lakes Naval Center. Sam got to see the world; he was stationed in Hawaii, traveled to the south Pacific, and was in Alaska when it became a state. He was honorably discharged on his 21st birthday.

On November 28, 1958, he was married to his high school sweetheart Norma Nelson at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater. Sam was employed at Kandiyohi REA as a lineman for about a year. He then enrolled at the University of Minnesota. In October 1962, his dad died and he returned home to farm. He enjoyed farming, especially field work. He also did custom silo filling and sold seed corn, seed beans, and Archer Oil.

Sam was baptized at the Lake Lillian Methodist Church as an infant and was confirmed at Rosendale United Methodist Church. He was an active member of Rosendale, serving as chairman of the board for many years and on many other offices and committees. He served on boards of District 800 and Atwater Schools, the Atwater Creamery, and the Kandiyohi County Farmers Union. Sam loved to fish and attend church suppers, especially lutefisk dinners, smelt fries, and ice cream socials. He enjoyed music (gospel, country and polka) and loved to hear his daughters sing. He was proud of his daughters, their husbands, and the four grandchildren and always tried to be at their church and school activities. He taught himself how to use the computer and smart phone and thought GPS was great on tractors and cars.

Sam is survived by his wife, Norma; two daughters, Janet (and Doug) Anderson of Hutchinson and Valerie (and Tom) Muckenhirn of Delano; four grandchildren, Erika Anderson, Kimberly Anderson, Phillip Anderson and Clara Anderson; a brother-in-law, Paul (and Betty) Nelson of Atwater; two sisters-in-law, Lorraine Kaatz of Clarkfield and Iila Nelson of Atwater; and cousins, Larry (and Audrey) Anderson of Litchfield and Kenneth (and Carol) Holmgren of California.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers-in-law, Marvin Kaatz and Leland Nelson.

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