Virgil Pederson

Virgil "Eckey" Pederson, age 84, of Willmar, died Saturday afternoon, November 23, at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.

Service will be held at 2 PM, Tuesday, November 26, at Bethel Lutheran Church in Willmar. The interment will be in Fairview Cemetery. Friends may call from 4-7 PM Monday at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home and at the church one hour prior to the service. (www.petersonbrothers.com)

Virgil Harlan Roger Pederson was born on March 28, 1929 in Willmar to Oscar and Esther (Ness) Pederson. He was raised on a farm North of Willmar and was the fifth of 12 siblings. He attended school district #36 and Willmar High School. On July 3, 1949 he married Ione Marie Nelson in Willmar, MN. Together they shared 64 years of marriage. They have three sons: Keith, Gregory and Daryl. They also have five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Virgil worked for M.E. Souther Construction Company in St. Paul, Pederson Construction Company in Willmar for 53 years and Hasslen Construction in Ortonville. Virgil was a member of Bethel Church where he served as usher and attended men's breakfast meetings. He joined the Willmar Elks Lodge in 1959, served on the Board of Directors, received a 10 year outstanding service award as trustee and became exalted ruler in 1980. He also received the Elk of the Year designation in 1973. He served on the Eagle Lake Planning Commission and Board of Directors for the Willmar Hockey Association as well as coached ward football for the Willmar Recreation Department. He loved bird watching, fishing, hunting and league bowling. Virgil was an excellent mechanic and posessed a passion for stock car racing. He served as a pit crew mechanic and welder for many years, supporting his racing team. He truly enjoyed the racing hobby. He never missed a Twins or Vikings game on TV and enjoyed winters with Ione in Mesa, Arizona.

He is survived by his wife, Ione Pederson; children: Keith (Deb) Pederson of Willmar, Gregory (Vickie) Pederson of Mound, Daryl (Cathy) Pederson of Willmar; grandchildren: Shannon Brown of Chanhassen, Sarah Pederson Weinhandl (Eric) Weinhandl of Victoria, Nicholas (Amanda) Pederson of Willmar, Troy (Bridget) Pederson of Chillicothe, Ohio, Aimee Pederson of Waconia and great-grandchildren: Madyson and Trevor Brown, Isaac Weinhandl, Lucas Pederson, and Maxwell Weinhandl, Avery Pederson, and Brooklyn and Bria Pederson. His is also survived by one brother Gaylord (Margaret) Pederson of Willmar, and one sister Marsha (Paul) Buiede of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, brother-in-laws Louis Eichhorst of New London, and Phil Arnold of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, several nieces, nephews and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents; four brothers: Ray, Dennis, Marshall and Robert and five sisters: Irene Ruter, Marion Eichhorst, Orla Lawler, Eleanor Sundt, and Helen Arnold and great-grandchild Weinhandl (miscarried).

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