Allen Klongerbo

Allen Ordean Klongerbo was born on April 20, 1932 in Leonard, MN, the son of Ole and Eleanor (Blix) Klongerbo. He graduated from Clearbrook High School and attended Bemidji College for a year where he met June Gryte and, after he joined the Air Force, they were married on April 18, 1953 in Grand Forks, ND. He spent 4 years in the Air Force, stationed in New Mexico, Maine, Oklahoma, and Alaska as a weapons specialist, earned the Good Conduct Medal, then went on to finish his college education at UND in Grand Forks, earning a degree in industrial engineering. This served him well in his varied career life as he was always looking for more efficient ways to accomplish a task. He worked for Honeywell for eight years, then became manager and part owner of a restaurant business in Winnipeg, Canada for 5 years. Returning to Minnesota, Al and June bought and operated Viking Bay Resort and then Viking Bay Campground on Big Cormorant Lake south of Lake Park, MN which eventually enabled them to semi-retire and spend many winters in Titusville, Florida. They sold the campground and moved to Titusville in 1993 until health reasons brought them back to Minnesota in 2000. Al also continued his military career in the Air National Guard and took on brief stints as operations manager at Swift in Detroit Lakes, MN, a gas station attendant, a milk truck driver, and part-time county deputy as he was never afraid of hard work and doing what was needed to provide for his family. In his later years, Allen enjoyed reading, yard work, and watching sports on TV. He helped build a home in Florida with Habitat for Humanity. He was able to fulfill a life long dream to return to Alaska last summer when he and June participated in a mission trip with the Evangelical Covenant Church to help build a Christian college in Soldotna. Golf was a passion of his and when he could no longer play, he was either watching it on TV or following his sons and grandsons around as they played tournaments, particularly the Pine-to-Palm in Detroit Lakes, MN. He loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren, but especially enjoyed them when they were little and he could hold them, feed them candy from his pockets, and walk hand in hand with them. Allen died of a heart attack at the age of 77 years on Friday, May 1, 2009 at the Douglas County Hospital with his wife and daughter at his side. A special thank-you goes out to the doctors and nurses there who assisted is his care and transition. He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years June of Alexandria; daughter Debra (Don) of Bloomington, MN; sons Michael (Amy) of Duluth, MN; Steven (Kim) Klongerbo of Lakeville, MN; grandchildren Tiffany (Jeffrey) Wendt of Burnsville, MN; Tara (Justin) Mack of Apple Valley, MN; Jenna (Paul) Kelly of Lakeville, MN; Troy Klongerbo of Duluth; and Sean Klongerbo of Duluth; great grandsons Jack and Noah Wendt and great granddaughter-on-the-way Baby Girl Wendt. He is also survived by brother, Don Klongerbo of Titusville, FL and sister, Edna Davis of Sun Lakes, AZ; brother-in-law Scott (Thelma) Rafnson of Winnipeg, sister-in-law Myrna Conway of Bemidji, brother-in-law Landis (Alice) of Baxter, and sister-in-law Charlotte (Dave) Kaiser of Cedarville, IL; many nieces and nephews, and several cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Merle Klongerbo and sister Carole Roth. A funeral service was held on Monday, May 4, 2009 at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Alexandria with Pastor Rol Boyce and Pastor John LeVahn officiating. Interment was in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery at Camp Ripley, near Little Falls, MN. Casket bearers were Troy Klongerbo, Sean Klongerbo, Jeffrey Wendt, Justin Mack, and Paul Kelly. Honorary casket bearers were Jack and Noah Wendt. Arrangements are with the Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria. Memorials preferred to the local food shelf or Habitat for Humanity.