Simen Ludvig Lahlum, Jr. was born October 31, 1929, in Valley City, ND, to Simen Ludvig Lahlum, Sr. and Hilda Amelia Lahlum (Jongren). He grew up on a farm in Norma Township and helped on the farm. Simen attended grade school at Norma School in Barnes County, ND, and then moved to town to attend high school in Valley City. He graduated in 1947.
Simen went into the Navy and served from December 30, 1950, until October 27, 1954. He was a radar man 3rd class. After the Navy he enrolled at NDSU and earned a BS in Agriculture in 1958. He was in Who's Who among students in American Universities and Colleges in 1958. He moved to Minot shortly after that and was employed with the Soil Conservation Service.
Simen married E. Eileen Polsfut on September 20, 1959, in Minot. Simen attended St. Paul Bible College (Crown College) in 1962 and Bethel Seminary in 1963. He then took a job with Northwest Airlines in Atlanta, Georgia, where they lived one year before moving back to Grand Forks, ND, where he continued to work for Northwest Airlines for 9 years.
In 1972, he took a job with Champau Gulikson Travel Agency in Thief River Falls, MN. Staying in the travel business, Simen opened his own travel agency in December 1976 in Cottage Grove, MN, under the name of Jet-Age Travel. After 17 years he retired from Jet-Age Travel in 1993 when he sold his agency.
In retirement he enjoyed traveling with his spouse, visiting his children and he even lived in Texas for a season before returning to the Fargo-Moorhead area in July 2002.
Simen was active in Rotary Club, the Lion's Club, the Christian Business Men and he was with the Gideons for several years. Simen was an elder in the Baptist and Christian and Missionary Alliance church and served in various other positions in the church
Simen died Sunday, August 1, 2004, in his home, at the age of seventy-four, under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley.
He is survived by his wife, Eileen; a daughter, Diane and her husband, Bob Wido with their children, Rachel and Robert, Columbus, Georgia; a son Duane and his wife, Faith, with their children, Nicholas, Ian and Bethany, Moorhead, MN; a daughter, Deanna an
Funeral Service: Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - 2 PM, Salem Evangelical Free Church, Fargo, ND. Visitation will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Burial: Thursday, August 5, 2004 - 12:30 PM
Sunset Memorial Gardens
Minot, ND