 Allen Oscar Munson was born on December 10, 1924 to Oscar and Myrtle (Thunstrom) Munson in Fish Lake Township. He passed away of a massive heart attack on Sunday morning, May 25, 2008 at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn., reaching the age of 83 years 5 months and 15 days.
As a young boy, he attended school in the building which now houses the Full Moon establishment in Stark, Minn. Allen was responsible for carrying the wood for the stove which kept the school warm in the winter months. Allen loved ice fishing, feeding the birds and taking care of cats. He entered military service during World War II by joining the United States Army in July, 1944. Because of a hernia, he was medically discharged in September 1945. In 1947, he married Elaine Lieske. To this union four children were born, Zona Gail, Patty, Allen Jr. and Candice. This marriage ended in divorce and Allen moved to California where he was a heavy equipment operator. He was a hard worker and loved working around machinery of any kind.
After moving back to Minnesota, Allen worked on the farm northeast of Harris for his brother-in-law, Carroll Ramberg. He affectionately called Carroll, “the boss.” He sold raspberries and worms for fishing whenever he could. He loved to cut and split wood and I am told, he could really make the wood fly. Allen wasn’t much for church, but he did appreciate Pastor Harry Dau of the Mission Church which is now the Harris Covenant Church. He attended Sunday evening services which were led by Pastor Dau. He pumped his own water and lived in a house built in 1869, just to the west of the Full Moon. In 2006, due to failing health, Allen left his 24 cats and moved to the Foster Home in North Branch.
In 2003, Zona Gail was able to contact her father after many years of wondering what had happened to him and if she would ever see or talk to him again. Through regular phone calls and yearly visits, Allen had the opportunity to meet three of his granddaughters, teaching them about the well and money tricks.
Allen is survived by his three daughters, Zona Gail (Don) Shirley of Georgia, Patricia Trujillo of Colorado and Candice Gallegos of Colorado, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, one sister, Muriel (Carroll) Ramberg, nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Allen was preceeded in death by his son, Allen Jr., who was killed during the Vietnam War, his parents Oscar and Myrtle (Thunstrom) Munson, his sisters LaVern Hawkinson and Shirley Stafstrom, his brother Vernon Thunstrom and niece Lori Stafstrom. His ashes will be buried at the Dale Free Cemetery in Stark, Minn.
Pastor Neil Bonkoski of Harris Covenant Church officiated at funeral services 1 p.m. Thursday at the Olson Chapel in Rush City, Minn. Music was provided by organist Doris Swanson and soloist Jon Ekstrom. Interment took place in the Dale Free Cemetery at Stark, Minn. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Funeral and Cremation Service of Rush City - Olson Chapel.
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