Asta Westerlund
Asta Westerlund, 90 of Middle River, MN passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at the LifeCare Greenbush Manor in Greenbush, MN.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM with a 5:00 PM prayer service on Monday, November 25, 2019 at Johnson Funeral Service. The funeral service to celebrate Asta’s life will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN with Rev. John Voelker officiating. Burial will follow at Emardville Cemetery near Plummer, MN. A time of lunch and fellowship will follow the burial at the Plummer American Legion.
Asta E. Fossum was born August 21, 1929 in Aneta, ND the daughter of John and Asta (Sennerud) Fossum. She was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran faith. She attended school in Aneta and in the fall of 1944 the Fossum family to a farm east of Plummer, MN.
She worked hard on the family farm.
On October 11, 1947, Asta was united in marriage to LeRoy Westerlund in Plummer, MN. They made their home on a farm west of Plummer where they raised their four children, Larry, Gregory, Milo and Debra.
They lived for a short time in Milwaukee, WI in the mid- 1950’s before returning to the Plummer area.
Asta enjoyed being a homemaker while her children were growing while on the farm. While in Plummer, Asta worked at the butcher shop in addition to ironing clothes and talking on the party line. In the mid-1960’s the family moved to Thief River Falls and Asta went to work at Arctic Cat for nine years. In the early 1980’s Asta and LeRoy moved to Middle River, MN where she worked at The Wagon Wheel for a time and also the American Legion Post 444. Asta retired when she was age 72.
Asta enjoyed playing cards, cooking, gardening, being outdoors, watching Wheel of Fortune & John Wayne movies; she did a lot of babysitting and actually enjoyed changing diapers. She especially enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She was a happy, sweet, kind, caring, loving person who never complained.
She was a life-time member of the Plummer American Legion Auxiliary.
Survivors include her son, Greg Westerlund; daughter, Deb (Joe) Herrman; grandchildren, Darian Westerlund, Lance (Melissa) Westerlund, Jessica (Chris Lucht) Stoltman, Dale (Robyn) Westerlund, Allan Shumway; great-grandchildren, Lydia & Natalie Westerlund, Olivia Westerlund, Noah Vennes, Devon Westerlund, Lucas (Chelsey) Sandsmark, Haillee Shumway; great great-grandson, Kenneth Strand III “KJ”; and many other relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her husband, LeRoy; sons, Larry and Milo; great-granddaughter, Alex Ellingson; parents; siblings, Karsten, Evelyn, Arthur, Arlene, and Sigvei Johanna.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com