Knute Nesland, 86, died Sunday, August 27, 2006 at Altru Hospital, Grand Forks, ND.

Funeral service will be 11 AM, Thursday, August 31, 2006 at Abundant Life Lutheran Church, Thief River Falls, MN with Reverend Wesley Langaas, officiating. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery, Thief River Falls.

Visitation will be 5 " 8 PM, Wednesday, August 30, 2006 at Johnson Funeral Service, Thief River Falls with a 7 PM prayer service and for one hour prior to service at the church Thursday.

Knute Nesland was born June 24, 1920, at Grygla, MN, the son of Mikkel and Gunda (Roisland) Nesland. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. He grew up in the area and attended the Dalos School through the 8th grade. He and his brother, Torkel went to the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) at Cass Lake, MN, graduating in June of 1938. Knute worked for a farmer at Thompson, ND, before going into the service. He served his country in France, Germany and Austria in the United States Army, from October 9, 1941 until his honorable discharge January 25, 1946. He earned an American Defense Ribbon, an American Theater Ribbon and a European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon.

On August 5, 1950, Knute was united in marriage to Stella Anderson and they lived on a farm NE of Grygla, MN in Benville Township, Beltrami County, MN. The couple worked together on a dairy and small grain farm. They moved to Sanders Township near Thief River Falls, MN in 1969, where they had a dairy and grain operation. They were honored several times for their dairy operation. In 1978, they were named Top Herd, DHIA and the same year, Red River Valley Winter Shows-Top Dairyman for Pennington County. In 1980, they received Premier Dairyman Award. They sold their cattle in 1980 and continued grain farming, until about 1990. They continued living on the farm, renting out the cropland.

Knute is survived by his wife Stella, Thief River Falls; daughter Linda (Milton) Anderson, Gatzke, MN; son Glen (Lynae) Nesland, Thief River Falls, MN; grandchildren Nikki (LaRone) Greer, Jared Anderson, Tara (Jerod) Lunsetter, Tanya (Travis) Harbott, Audra (Michael) Lovly; great grandchildren Jordan, Nykeesha and Nykayla Greer, Ethan and Jonah Lunsetter, Ella Harbott and Hannah Lovly. Also surviving are brother Ole Nesland, Grygla, MN, sisters Bunny DuChamp, Plummer, Terry Blaine, Grygla, Tillie Askeland, Warroad and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Targie and Torkel, sisters Julia Clausen and Gertie Haugen.