Obituary Posted: 5/4/05
Virginia Arlyne Granholm was born on Jan. 13, 1921 on a farm
near Beresford in rural Clay County, South Dakota. She died on Friday, April 29, 2005 at the Grandview Christian Home in Cambridge at the age of 84 years 3 months and 16 days.
Virginia was the 13th of 13 children born to Peter and Gertrude (Kegarice) Hansen. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith in the Rockfield Danish Lutheran Church. She attended the Rockfield country school and graduated from Beresfoed High School in 1939.
On Sept. 27, 1941 she married Elmer Clayton Hultgren in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Four children were born to their union: Sharon Olund, North Branch, Minn., Donald, who died at 2 years of age, Dr. Bruce Hultgren, DVM, died April 2, 1990, and Ruth Ann Blahnik, Pine City, Minn.
Virginia spent the major part of her life as a homemaker and farmers wife in South Dakota and Minnesota. In 1953, they moved to Colorado Springs, CO and lived for two years. They moved back to South Dakota and farmed for two more years then moving to Minnesota in 1956 where they leased Vineland Resort in Mille Lacs Lake for 10 months. In the spring of 1957 they bought a farm in East Cambridge. She lived there until entering Grandview Christian Home in May 2004. We want to thank Grandview Christian Home and Fairview Hospice for the kind and loving care she received. Virginia was a member of Cambridge Lutheran Church at the time of her death.
On Aug. 31, 1960 Clayton was killed in a farm accident at their home. The family continued living on the farm. Virginia was united in marriage to Willie Granholm of Isanti, and to this union one son was born, Peter William. They continued to farm until their retirement in the 1980ís.
Virginia enjoyed traveling and visiting family and friends throughout the USA. She enjoyed going to the Twins baseball games, bowling on a weekly league, playing cards, polka dancing, fishing, and most of all enjoyed doing things with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Gertrude Hansen, husband Clayton Hultgren, two sons Donald and Bruce Hultgren, son-in-law Joseph Blahnik and 11 brothers and sisters.
She is survived by her husband Willie Granholm, one son Peter Granholm, two daughters Sharon and son-in-law Jim Olund, and Ruth Ann Blahnik, five grandchildren; Tamara Olund, Cynthia (Jeff) Scherer, Tracy (Curtis) Singer, Shane Blahnik, Joel (Erin) Blahnik, six great grandsons Joshua and Hayden Scherer, Matthew Singer, Levi and Ethan Blahnik, and Connor Blahnik, one brother Melvin Hansen of Akron, Iowa who is 100 years old, and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 4, at Cambridge Lutheran Church with Rev. Erling Tungseth officiating. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at Carlson-Lillemoen Funeral Home in Cambridge, Minn. and one hour prior to the service at the church. Wendell and Laurel Johnson, accompanied by Mary Kay OíNeill will sing ìIn The Gardenî and ìHow Great Thou Art.î Active pallbearers will be Dellis Sandquist, Ronald Olson, Wayne Hals. Wyatt Hansen, Larue Hansen, Wally Larson. Honorary pallbearers will be great-grandsons Joshua and
Hayden Scherer, Matthew Singer, Levi, Ethan and Connor Blahnik. Interment will be in the Cambridge Lutheran Cemetery.
Arrangements are with the Carlson-Lillemoen Funeral Home in Cambridge.
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