Halvor Rikje

Halvor Rikje, age 86, of Gully, MN, passed away on Thursday (December 30th) at First Care Living Center in Fosston. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday (January 7th) at Lund Lutheran Church in Gully with the Pastor Michael Sletto officiating. Interment will be in Lund Lutheran Cemetery, Gully. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service on Thursday (January 6th) at the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home in Fosston. There will also be reviewal for one hour prior to the service on Friday at the church. Military honors will be provided by the Trail V.F.W. Post #6426 and arrangements are with the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home of Fosston. Messages of condolence may be sent at carlinhoialmen.com.Halvor Rikje was born on January 30, 1924 to parents Dreng and Anna (Aaknes) Rikje in Equality Township, north of Trail, MN. In June 1943 at age 19, he entered the US Navy and was sent to Okinawa and later was assigned to the destroyer USS Myles C. Fox, spending about a year in the Mediterranean Sea. He was discharged as Engineman 1st Class in 1952. Later that year, Halvor entered the US Air Force and was stationed at Offut Air Force Base near Omaha, Neb. Retiring from the US Air Force in 1965 with ranking of Technical Sergeant, Halvor had served at Air Force Bases in Ramstein Germany, US Andrews at Washington DC, Wiesboden, Germany and RAF Lakenheath, England.While in England, Halvor was married to Iris Milton and to this union a daughter, Anita June Rikje was born.Halvor later returned to the Trail-Gully area, and started a TV & Appliance Repair business, which he operated until the time of his death. He was the community fix-it man, and could repair most anything people brought to him. On December 14, 1973, Halvor and Vivian (Brenna) Paulson were married at Lund Lutheran Church in Gully. Halvor and Vivian moved into Gully shortly thereafter, where Halvor served as mayor for six years. During his term as mayor, Halvor and other community members were instrumental in revamping the Gully School into a café, post office, store and apartment complex. This past summer, Halvor was voted Gully Area Man of the Century during Gully's Centennial celebration. Halvor was a member of the Trail VFW Post 6426 and Lund Lutheran Church.Halvor passed away on Thursday, December 30, 2010 at First Care Living Center in Fosston at the age of 86 years.Halvor is survived by his wife, Vivian of Gully; daughter Anita Rikje-Pearson (Philip) of East Sussex, England; step-daughter Peggy Ystenes (Milo) of Winger, MN; and step-son Keith Paulson (Lisa) of Gully; five grandsons, Taylor and Tollef Pearson; Danny (Elizabeth) Ystenes; Ben (Juliette) Ystenes; and Cory (Gina Kalinoski) Ystenes; and two great-grandchildren, Olivia and Julian Ystenes, his sisters, Goldie Bodner of Sterling, IL and Beverly (Charles) Milk of Sierra Vista, AZ; brother, Olaf (Hazel) Rikje of Sterling, IL; sister-in-law, Ida Gaudio of Illinois; and by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Anund and John Rikje and Albert Aaknes; and one sister, Gert Hamrey.