Lyle Willert

LITTLE FALLS -- Lyle Willert, 80, Little Falls, formerly of Page, N.D., died Monday, Oct. 28, 2002, at home of cancer.

He was born Oct. 14, 1922, in Arthur, N.D., to Gus and Dora (Schur) Willert. He married Virginia D. Edgerton on Jan. 14, 1945, in Lincoln, Neb. After his discharge from the military in 1946, he completed a degree in vocational agriculture at North Dakota State University. He taught high school for two years before beginning to farm near Page, N.D. He continued to teach veterans vocational agriculture for 17 years. He briefly left farming to work for the Soil Conservation Service in Valley City and McClusky, N.D. He returned to Page, N.D., and continued to farm until his retirement. He was on the board of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, the school board, the Board of Directors of the Elm River Credit Union and a founding member of the North Dakota Wool Growers Association.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia, Little Falls; four daughters, Barb Lauer, McClusky, N.D., Nancy Schiro, Cottage Grove, Wis., Julia Weisz, Little Falls, and Lisa Usgaard, Waterloo, Wis.; three sons, Michael Willert, Argusville, N.D., Donnie Willert, Princeton, and Jeff Willert, Hanover; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and three sisters, Lois Iwen, Des Moines, Wash., Isabel Kuehn, Edina, and Evelyn Wilhelm, Grand Forks, N.D.

A son, Richard, died earlier.

Services will be 1 p.m. Friday at First Lutheran Church in Little Falls with the Rev. David Steffenson officiating. Burial will be in Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls.

Friends may call from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. and an hour before services Friday at the church.