Wallace Wateland

Wallace "Wally" LeRoy Wateland was born December 16, 1925, in rural Wahpeton, ND, to Melvin and Olga (Bakken) Wateland. He attended country school in the Wahpeton area and at the age of 16 he moved to Washington where he helped to build ships for the war effort.

Wally enlisted in the Army in 1945 and served in Germany before being honorably discharged in 1946. On October 19, 1947, Wally married Sonia Grady in Hendrum, MN, and they made their home in Moorhead, MN. Wally worked for 39 years as a forklift operator for Red Owl.

Wally was a life member of the Moorhead VFW and an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead.

Wally died on Monday, February 6, 2012, in his home, under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley. He was 86 years old.

Wally is survived by his wife, Sonia, Moorhead; a daughter, Barbara (Michael) Lindbloom, Park City, UT; a granddaughter, Erica Lindbloom; a brother, Glenn Wateland, Breckenridge, MN; five sisters, Ruth Kutzer, Bismarck, ND, Gloria Lund, Wahpeton, Betty Johnson, Wahpeton, Lois (Roger) Schaff, Eagan, MN, and Donna (Darwin) Melke, Burnsville, MN; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Ernestine (Elgar) Paulsen and George (Shirlee) Grady; and many nieces and nephews.

Wally was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Mark; and 2 brothers, Kermit and Jervis.

The family would like to thank the Hospice staff for their loving care of Wally.

Visitation: Friday from 5 - 7 PM with a Prayer Service at 6:30 PM at Korsmo Funeral Chapel, Moorhead.
Funeral: Saturday, February 11, 2012, at 11 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead.
Burial: Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, Moorhead.