Obituary of Albin Reinhold Carlson

Albin Reinhold Carlson, age 98, formerly of Cass Lake, died Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at the Benedictine Health Center in Duluth, Mn. Al was born December 1, 1916, to Andrew and Anna (Anderson) Carlson, the fourth of seven children, on the family farm near Cass Lake, Mn where he grew to manhood and where he lived much of his life. He attended the one-room country school where he learned to speak English, Swedish being his primary language which he had learned from his emigrant parents. Having enlisted in the Army during WWII, he served four years in Italy and Africa. On September 16, 1945, he married Ruby Loreen Smith in Wenatchee, Wa, before returning to his parents’ farm where he again worked alongside his father and brothers and where he continued to farm until 1964 when he and Ruby moved down the road apiece into a house on 10 acres. His farming days were over, but all of his life he was an avid gardener. While farming, Al was also employed as a mechanic at Deep Rock in Cass Lake, and he served many years as a Cass County Commissioner. He later was three times elected Cass County Auditor before retiring in 1981 to spend full time pursuing his new passion, which was an experimental project for the Hubbard, Cass and Beltrami County Land Departments growing seedling trees in the greenhouses he had built. Al was 64 years old. In 1991 he and Ruby moved to Duluth, Mn. Always a social individual it took Al no time to find a new group of friends with whom to share conversation and a daily cup of coffee, a routine in which he took much pleasure. He was also involved in his church assisting however he could. Al was a skilled carpenter and mechanic. He could build almost anything out of almost anything. When he was 17, he decided that the farm needed a tractor and that he could build one, so he did. It became known as “the Bug” and is still running today. Al loved conversation, building things, growing things and playing cribbage. He had many friends because he was a fun conversationalist and a smart, talented, hard-working gentleman. In 2006 Al moved to Benedictine Health Center in Duluth where he lived the remainder of his life. He is preceded by his wife Ruby; four brothers, Carl, Barney, George and Roy and two sisters, Gladys and Myrtle. Albin is survived by his son Denny Carlson (Jane) and his daughter Pam Hetland; grandchildren Adam Carlson, Jason Hetland (Denise) and Alaina Golen (Curtis); great granddaughters McKenna, Faylin and Lyndzi Hetland and Ava Golen and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of Albin’s life will be held at Faith Lutheran Church, 1814 N. 51st Ave. E. Duluth, MN at ll:00 a.m. on December 19th, Pastor Carolyn Mowchan officiating. Visitation is one hour before service. Military Honors will be accorded by the Duluth Honor Guard. Interment will be at Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth. Services entrusted to First Memorial Funeral Chapel, (218) 624-5050.