Reverend Arthur O. Aadland
March 30, 1918 - May 20, 2009

Reverend Arthur Othello Aadland was born on March 30, 1918 in Minneapolis to Anders and Dagny (Rettedal) Aadland, recent immigrants from Norway. After a return of several years to their home country, the young family settled permanently in Minneapolis, where Arthur attended public schools, then earned a degree at Augsburg College and another at Luther Theological Seminary, followed by his ordination as a Lutheran pastor.

At Augsburg, in the choir, Arthur met a petite, hazel-eyed girl named Inga Schroder. They were married on August 16, 1941, commencing shortly thereafter a life of service to a succession of Lutheran congregations in Preston, Minnesota; Bucyrus, North Dakota; Peever and De Smet, South Dakota; Absarokee, Montana; and Westbrook and Mapleton, Minnesota, before retiring in 1985 to their lake house near Westbrook.

Pastor Aadland will be long remembered for his outrageous sense of humor, his ability as a craftsman, and his considerable accomplishments as a musician and choir director. His musical legacy still shines in the lives of his extended family and on Sunday morning in the churches he served. He combined his many talents to design and build complete pipe organs for two of his churches, Old Westbrook and Immanuel (in Absarokee, MT).

But his legacy as a consummate preacher of the gospel and as a tireless, caring pastor may live even longer. Son Dan remembers one Christmas Eve, so anticipated, when the Christmas story would be read and presents would be opened, but that was delayed for several hours by his father's succession of visits to the old, the ill, the shut-ins, the visiting seemingly endless to the small boy who accompanied him. Spreading the joy to others came first.

Pastor Aadland passed away Wednesday morning, May 20, 2009, at Westbrook Hospital in Westbrook, Minnesota, at the age of 91.

He is survived by ten children: Carolyn Irene Allmon of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Daniel Arthur Aadland, of Absarokee, Montana; Anders Bernard Aadland of Springfield, Virginia; Stephen Matthias Aadland of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Arthur Bruce Aadland of Valley Springs, South Dakota; Andrea Ruth Heeren of Plymouth, Minnesota; Rebecca Dagny Aadland of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Luther Philip Emmanuel Aadland of Fergus Falls, Minnesota; Laurie Anne Helgoe of Charleston, West Virginia; Julie Annette Meyer of Eagan, Minnesota; 29 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; one brother, Otto "Bud" Aadland of Cape Coral, Florida; two sisters, Sigfrid Lybeck of Fostoria, Ohio and Dorothy Mortenson of Venice, Florida; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Arthur is preceded in death by his parents; his wife Inga; and one sister, Esther Hofstad.

"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation ..."

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the gift of Dad and Pastor Aadland. Thank you for covering him with your grace and blessing him to be a blessing to each of us. He rests in your arms in the certain hope of the Resurrection. Comfort us who mourn. Through the power of Resurrection transform our mourning into song and dancing. Help us see Jesus in every tear and as we laugh at the stories of your grace in our father. Hold on to each of us as we hold on to each other. Help us celebrate whether we live or whether we die, we are yours, gracious God. We pray and praise you in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior. Amen.
Gift of Prayer by Dr. Richard Hardel

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