Lars Adelsten Brendsel

Lars Adelsten Brendsel was born to Anders and Bertha Larson Brendsel in a log cabin near Baltic, South Dakota on April 13, 1904, the youngest of 10 children. His parents were immigrant pioneers from Norway and in 1875 his mother, at the age of 16, became the first school teacher in Minnehaha County. The family moved to a farm near Clear Lake by Colton, South Dakota, where Lars started elementary school and attended St. Jacob’s Church. At the age of 8, he moved to a farm near Baltic where he lived until he was 100 years old. He was baptized and confirmed in Nidaros Congregation and completed elementary school nearby.
On October 8, 1932, he married Mabel Gunderson of rural Crooks at West Nidaros Lutheran Church. They farmed near Baltic until retirement in 1966. During their 52 years together, they worked hard devoting themselves to their 3 children and contributing to church and community. After Mabel became ill with rheumatoid arthritis, he faithfully and compassionately cared for her during her 14 year struggle with the debilitating disease.
Lars was forever creative and resourceful and a careful steward of the environment. During a lifetime that spanned drought, depression, horse-drawn machinery and the transition to mechanized farming, he designed and constructed many buildings, equipment, and tools. He was an innovative person who enjoyed working with metal, and wood, and his work was meticulous. Among the many structures he designed and built is a silo, erected during the mid 1930’s, which still proudly stands on the family farm just north of West Nidaros.
Lars was a man of enormous interest and knowledge, talented in many areas. He enjoyed classical music and played the violin, walking 2 ½ miles to take a train to Sioux Falls for lessons when he was 12 years old. Later, he sang in the Orpheus Male Chorus and the church choir.
Remarkable for that era, Lars’ parents and all 9 siblings attended college. One of Lars’ great regrets is that he was unable to pursue formal education beyond the 8th grade due to his responsibilities at home. Yet he was truly a learned and self-educated man with a gifted mind. His love of learning continued throughout his life. He had an inquiring mind, was an avid reader, and continually sought to learn more about the world around him. He kept a well-worn dictionary close to his chair, which he frequently referenced to learn the meaning or pronunciation of an unfamiliar word.
Lars often said how fortunate he was to have so many good friends. Although many passed before him, others remain to this day. Among his many friends were his many thoughtful nieces and nephews, his caregivers at Waterford, and Ginger, who helped him care for Mabel and has been a good friend since then.
Lars instilled strong values of caring, honesty, hard work and learning that distinguished himself and his family. Lars was widely admired and respected by his family and friends. He was also enjoyed for his wisdom and memories of times long past and for his spunk and spirit, which stayed with him until the day of his passing. His nephew Gene remarked, ‘he was the last of a most remarkable generation and will be greatly missed’.
Lars Adelsten Brendsel, a life-long resident of Minnehaha County, passed away peacefully Tuesday, July 18, 2006 at Waterford at All Saints in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 102.
Grateful for having shared his life are his daughter, Marilyn (Verne) Swanson, Crooks, SD; son, Leland (Diane) Brendsel, Queenstown, MD; son-in-law, Rodney Bailey, Gilroy, CA; grandchildren, Tanna, Sonja, Todd, Scott, Kara, Laura, Jeffry, Lauren, Jon, and Michael; great-grandchildren, Sara, Anna, Taylor, Adam, Kelsey, Audrey, Olivia, Levi, Lane, Megan, Allison, Lucas, Abbie, Natalie, Monica, Stephanie, and Isabella; nieces; nephews; other relatives; and friends.
Lars was preceded in death by his wife, Mabel; daughter, Margaret Bailey; grandson, Peter Brendsel; siblings, Karen, Knut, Inga, Anna, Louise, Agnes, Marie, Ingebrigt, and Emelie; and his parents.
Blessed be his memory.

Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM Saturday, July 22, 2006 at West Nidaros Lutheran Church, rural Crooks. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to World Vision, a charity that Lars generously supported.


Blessed be his memory.