Carl Ecklund

Carl E. Ecklund, age 104 years, 6 months, and 21 days of Sauk Centre, died Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 29 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Greg Paffel officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday at the church.

Carl Edward Ecklund was born December 4, 1910 in Kandota Township, Todd County, Minnesota to Carl O. and Hedvig (Freeberg) Ecklund of Sweden. Carl started school in 1916 where he learned everything he could handle in seven terms, and then passed the eighth grade exams. His education really started with learning how to farm and to do what your folks told you to do.

On November 14, 1931 he married Mary Ahrens. They made their home on the farm in Birchdale Township, where they had five children. In October of 1992, they moved to Sauk Centre.

Carl farmed and also worked for a number of businesses including Northrup King and Company in Minneapolis in 1948 and 1949, Emil Hanson and Sons of the Lake Lillian Silo Company in 1951, People Ice Company of Sauk Centre in 1952, Brown and Legiul in Mankato in 1953, and D.H. Blattner and Sons in Albany from 1954 until his retirement in 1972.

He was a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Sauk Centre. Carl loved dancing, fishing, any activity relating to the outdoors, and enjoyed playing cards, especially pinochle and poker.

Survivors include his children, Eugene Ecklund of Moorhead, Elaine (Rudy) Beste of Sauk Centre, Raymond Ecklund of Clarissa, and Vera Zagar of Hugo; 18 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, and 19 great-great grandchildren; brother, Art Ecklund of Cedar Falls, Iowa; sisters-in-law, Rose Ecklund and Fern Ahrens of Sauk Centre; and brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Erma Ahrens of Osakis.

Carl was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ecklund on October 20, 1994; parents; father and mother-in-law, Henry and Gertrude Olson Ahrens; son, Duane Ecklund; grandson, Scott Ecklund; and brother and sister-in-law, John and Alice Ecklund, Joe and Carol Ecklund, and Victor and Albert "Jerome" Ecklund; sisters and brothers-in-law, Clara and Helmer Severin and Robert Plant, Mary and Ben Determan, Ida and Clarence Pehrson and Ed Henningsgard, Ellen and Dave Dunning; and sister-in-law, Mabel Ecklund; daughters-in-laws, Dorothy Niehaus Ecklund, Margaret Lindback Ecklund, Essie Ilgen Ecklund; and son-in-law, Frances (Dick) Zagar.

Serving as casket bearers will be Keith, Jim, Joe, Mark, Kelly, and Kevin Ecklund. Cross bearer will be Katy Rheault and scripture bearer will be Lindsey Ecklund.