Orvel Melvin Treangen

December 2, 1916 - January 7, 2015

Orvel Melvin Treangen was born at home in rural Spring Grove on December 2, 1916 the second son of Ole and Mildred (Opsahl) Treangen. He lived all of his life in the Spring Grove area hauling milk, dairy farming for over thirty years, and driving a school bus for thirteen years. Orvel was baptized and confirmed a member of Faith of Black Hammer where he was a faithful member most of his life. He served on the Church Council and numerous church committees over the years. As a young family they attended Our Saviours of Riceford. He was inducted into the Army on September 9, 1941 and became an automatic Rifleman after receiving the Combat Infantryman Badge. He was in the 41st Infantry Division and the G Co. 163 Infantry serving mostly in Australia and New Guinea.during WWII. This was a life changing event for Orvel. He was injured and sent to Australia for recuperation. For this he received his purple heart of which he was very proud. He attended many reunions with his ‘war buddies’ many of them becoming lifelong friends. In his later years he shared many stories about his army experiences and was interviewed by several to preserve the history of his army life. When he returned from the war he met and married his beloved wife Valborg (Veum) at Our Saviors in Riceford. To that union four children were born: Diane Faye, Marjorie Carolyn, Gloria Jean, and Dean Orvel. They dairy farmed for thirty years living on the Hollis Onsgard farm west of Spring Grove, Lloyd Deters farm northeast of Spring Grove and finally purchasing their farm north of Spring Grove. Orvel’s pride and joy were his Holstein cows for which he received several awards. Dad sold his cows in 1980 and semi-retired. They built a home in Spring Grove and lived there for 25 years. He drove a school bus for 13 years which he enjoyed tremendously. He loved the kids and they loved him. He started a woodworking business and made many signs, furniture, and toys – you may have seen the semi-tractors and trailers that he made! He was very proud of them! Orvel was a very creative and innovative man. Orvel enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. The grandchildren, Brandon, Shana, Brett, Chad and Jerrod all remember playing at the farm and playing in the barn with Grandpa. And the great grandchildren, Devin, Cai, Nixon, Parker, Tayah and Tate had all gotten to know Grandpa T. They moved to the Assisted Living in Spring Grove 9 years and most recently Orvel moved to the Spring Grove Tweeten Health Care Center where he spent his last month. Those left to remember Orvel are his children: Diane (Ken) Damerow, Marjorie (Fordyce) Brevig, and Dean (Diana); grandchildren: Brandon (Nikki) Brevig, Shana (Shane) Blackman, Brett (Siri) Damerow, Chad Damerow, and Jerrod Treangen and step grandchildren Chelsey (Eric) Sullivan and Robbie (Jennifer) Weinhardt; and great grandchildren: Devin and Cai Brevig, Nixon and Parker Blackman, and Tayah and Tate Damerow and step-grandchildren, Ethan and Emma Sullivan and Nolan Weinhardt. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, cousins. Others preceding him in death are: Valborg, his beloved wife and Gloria Jean his daughter. Also deceased are his parents Ole and Mildred Treangen, his parents-in-law Knute and Clara Veum, siblings and their spouses: Gilman (Irene) Treangen, Roland (Judy and Florence) Treangen, Rosie (Orvel) Olson and siblings-in-law: Helma (Anton) Knutson, Lester Veum and Lennie Veum: and daughter-in-law Bonnie Treangen. His birth into eternal life came peacefully on Wednesday, January 7.