Wallace L. Osland

Wallace L. Osland, 80, of rural Lanesboro, died Friday, September 9, 2016 at Mayo Clinic Methodist Campus. He was born in Cresco, Iowa on June 29, 1936 to Nels and Agnes (Miller) Osland. The lived on a farm near Bristol Center in York Township of Fillmore county until 1940 when the family moved to a farm north of Cresco on Golden Ridge Road in Howard County Iowa. In 1950 they moved  to their farm near Greenleafton.

After graduating from Preston High school in 1954 he attended Central College in Pella, Iowa graduating in 1958 and then attended Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan for two years.

He married the former Ann Marie Tell on August 19, 1960 in Rochester, New York. They lived in Denver for two years before returning to Minnesota so Wallace could enroll in the Mortuary Science Program at the University of Minnesota.

Following graduation from the University of Minnesota and serving his apprenticeship he accepted a position at the Jorris Funeral Home and Ambulance in Spring Valley in 1965. He and Ann purchased the business in 1968 and it became the Osland Funeral Home and Osland Ambulance Service.

He was very proud of the ambulance service as he developed it from a station wagon and cot into a fully equipped ambulance staffed with a great crew of volunteer EMT’s. In 1987 he retired as an EMT-I and the service became operated by the City of Spring Valley. In 1996 he retired from funeral service and James Hindt became the new owner.

While living in Spring Valley he was a member of Faith United Methodist Church and served on the building committee for the new building. He taught Sunday School, was a member of the choir, was a certified lay speaker and held various lay positions in the church. Wallace was a member of the Spring Valley Kiwanis where he coordinated the Citizen of the Year Program for many years. In addition, he was a member of the Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Jaycees and the Toastmasters. Along with other church members, he assisted the relocation of two Vietnamese families in the mid - 1970s.

Wallace enjoyed music and had sung in the Greenleafton Church Choir, the Central College Choir, in seminary choir, in the community choirs in Spring Valley and Faith United Methodist and later in the choir at Bethlehem Lutheran Church where he was a member.

Wallace was a very kind, generous and loving man. He was extremely proud of his daughters and his grandsons.

He is survived by Ann, his wife of 56 years; two daughters Susan (Tom) Holst of rural Lanesboro and Julie of Wheeling, West Virginia; two grandsons, Michael Holst and Eric Holst, both of rural Lanesboro, one brother, John Osland of Swisher, Iowa and many special nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Rev. Gerald Osland from Aplington, Iowa, and an infant sister, Donna Mae.

Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, 11:00am September 17, 2016 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lanesboro with Pastor Kerry Eversole officiating. Friends may call from 5-7pm Friday evening at the church.

Burial will be in the Lanesboro Cemetery

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