Arthur Beilke

Arthur "Art" Beilke, age 79 of Sauk Centre, died peacefully on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, February 4 at Zion Lutheran Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Marty Porter officiating. Interment will follow in Greenwood Cemetery with military honors provided by the Sauk Centre United Veterans Honor Guard.

Friends may call from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday at the church. Sauk Centre United Veterans prayer service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon at the funeral home.

Arthur "Art" Beilke was born on May 27, 1928 in Kandota Township, Todd County, Minnesota to Otto and Bertha (Kiffmeyer) Beilke. On July 30, 1953 he married Lorraine Porttiin at St. John's Lutheran Church in Grey Eagle, Minnesota and the couple resided in Sauk Centre. Art drove a milk truck for nine years before becoming a farmer full time. Art was a very hard worker. He loved driving tractors, working in the fields, growing strawberries and animals, especially watching the birds and squirrels eat from the bird feeder. He also enjoyed fishing, gardening, making additions to his toy tractor collection and helping with the VFW Friday fish fry. Art was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and the Paul F. Donart VFW Post 2853 in Sauk Centre.

Survivors include his wife, Lorraine Beilke of Sauk Centre; children, Randy Beilke of Sauk Centre, Ronald (Joan) Beilke of Sauk Centre, and Russell (Vicki) Beilke of Sauk Centre; nine grandchildren, Ryan (Candy), Rachelle, Claire, Tory Jo, Darren, Celeste, Shaun, Nicole, and Dylan; great granddaughter, Bria; brothers, John (Lois) Beilke, Rudy (Janet) Beilke, Bob (Lila) Beilke and Benny (Marie) Beilke; sisters, Betty Van Havermaet, Dorothy (Don) Jacobs, Rosie (Florian) Schmitz, Shirley Beilke, Bev (Larry) Huot and Carol (Roy) Dierkhising; and many loving nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Gertrude Beilke and Jeanette Marth; and two infant siblings.