Deloris (Freyholtz) (Lende) Somdalen

Deloris (Freyholtz) (Lende) Somdalen, age 93, of Lengby, MN, passed away on Tuesday, December 17th, at Essentia Health Living Center in Fosston. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 4th, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Lengby with the Rev. Gene Lilienthal officiating. Interment will be in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Lengby. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service on Friday, January 3rd, at the Carlin Funeral Home in Fosston. There will also be reviewal for one hour prior to the service on Saturday (January 4th) at the church. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Fosston and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org or Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery Fund.

Deloris (Freyholtz) (Lende) Somdalen was born at home on a farm three miles east of Mahnomen, Minnesota on January 22, 1931. She was the second youngest of 10 children born to Otto and Amanda (Eggers) Freyholtz. She went to school in Mahnomen through the second grade. Then the family moved to a farm 12 miles south of Fosston. She went to a small country schoolhouse through the eighth grade that was just across the pasture from her house.

By the time Deloris was 14 years old, she had lived through the Depression and World War II. During the war, her brothers were off to contribute to the war effort. Her brother, Vernon, died in the war. Deloris kept her war ration stamps and was always very patriotic and supported the military. Deloris and her sister, Mildred, helped with the farming, pitching hay and milking cows by hand. When asked to squeeze her doctor’s hand, she would say “not that hard”. Deloris and Mildred also used to sing for a variety of events when they were younger. Deloris sang with the St. Paul Lutheran group Christmas caroling in 2023.

In April of 1950, Deloris married Kenneth Lende. One of their wedding gifts was an electric iron. Later in the year electricity came to the farm and could put it to use. Deloris and Kenneth were blessed with six children. In the fall of 1964, Kenneth died in a car accident.

Deloris got her driver’s license. She refused to move into town as she did not want to raise her kids in town. She bought a farm with sheep on it south of Lengby where she continued on with her 6 children (youngest 6 months, oldest 10 years).

After a huge snowstorm, her neighbor, Miff, and others came and moved snow for Deloris. Miff continued to check up on her and the kids. In 1966, Deloris and Miff were married in her home with all 6 children present. Soon they were blessed with their daughter, Shirley. Together, Miff and Deloris raised 7 children, milked cows (until 1991), then beef cattle until retirement. They were also blessed with 10 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren throughout their 56 years of marriage. 

In April of 2023, they moved into First Care Living Center and the staff has so much compassion for all residents. Deloris was involved in many activities there, including listening to music, art projects, bingo, and nerf gun deer hunting. Miff went to heaven in September of 2023. 

Deloris was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and the Clov-Is Homemaker’s Club, and the St. Paul Ladies’ Aide. 

Deloris is survived by her seven children, Craig (Jill) Lende, David (Jody) Lende, Norman (Shar) Lende, Steven (Lona) Lende, Barbara Carr (Mike Adensam), Darrell (Linda) Lende, and Shirley (Brad) Erickson; grandchildren, Nicole (Jeremy) Smith, Dave (Michelle) Melby, Alex Lende, Dylan Lende, Brittany (Tim) Dorn, Amanda (Tyler) Paulson, Abby Lende, Amber Erickson, Tyler Erickson, and Heather Erickson; great grandchildren, Kai, Pyper, Ellie, Jamison, Kaitlyn, Emily, Aden, Sibyl, and Raelynn; one sister, Alpha Evenson sisters-in-law, Florence Freyholtz, Loaine Freyholtz and Rosie Freyholtz. Many nieces and nephews also survive.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Ken Lende and Milfred “Miff” Somdalen; Brothers and sisters-in-law, Roy (May) Freyholtz, Vernon Freyholtz, Wilbert Freyholtz, Milton Freyholtz, Earl (Gloria) (Lois) Freyholtz, and Lester (Eyvone) Freyholtz; and sisters and brothers-in-law, Ramona (Lloyd) Evenson and Mildred (Dale) Hextell; and brother-in-law, Julien Evenson.