Eldon Linscheid

Eldon Lee Linscheid, 80, of Erhard, MN passed away on Friday, July 9, 2021 at Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls surrounded by family following a sudden onset hemorrhagic stroke. Eldon was born on February 16, 1941 in Mt. Lake, MN to Erwin and Anna (Neufeld) Linscheid. He grew up on a farm and graduated from Butterfield High School in 1959 and then from Mankato State College in 1963. He taught English and coached football and basketball at the high school in Sherburn for five years.

He met JoAnn Petersen on a pizza dinner blind date arranged by her brother, Duane, and his wife, Dee. Ten months later they were married at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Dunnell. Eldon earned an EdS degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO. Moving back to Minnesota, Eldon worked for the Pine County School Cooperative as a school psychologist for five years. During this time a son, Nathan, and a daughter, Naomi, were born. In 1976, Eldon accepted a position at Lakeland Mental Health Center in Fergus Falls and practiced for thirty-one years as a licensed psychologist in both the clinic and area schools, where he was instrumental in creating and implementing children’s mental health day treatment programs and providing treatment services to families of children with behavioral and mental health issues. During his years at Lakeland he was honored and respected for his dedication to helping families. He retired in 2007.

Eldon had a deep love for the land, and for the past four decades enjoyed tending to an acreage of woods and pasture purchased in Friberg Twp, implementing restoration of wetlands and forest management, planting, harvesting, and re-planting trees, introducing little Bluestem grasses and wildflowers, and building their retirement home on a pasture hill overlooking Little Heilberger Lake. Eldon established nesting houses for bluebirds and purple martens and plants to attract pollinators. He was a vegetable gardener. He hunted deer in the woods and fished in the many area lakes. He sawed, split, and sold firewood. He enjoyed driving the Gator for any reason and the big tractor for mowing trails used for hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing, and occasionally for hauling and rearranging rocks in JoAnn’s flower garden.

Eldon was a Minnesota sports fan and also followed the Fergus Falls Otters teams. He enjoyed traveling and took trips with JoAnn and friends to Europe and South America. The family also took many camping, biking, and other adventure trips throughout the years.

Eldon felt so blessed by his family and prayed for them daily. He especially enjoyed times spent with his five grandsons. He was teaching them to fish and hunt and to discover and protect the wonders of nature.

For forty-five years Eldon and JoAnn have been a part of Bethel’s fellowship and ministry. Eldon’s faith in the redeeming love of Christ was quietly expressed in his daily life by his integrity, his work ethic and in his relationships with those around him. Eldon sang in the choir, served on the finance and stewardship boards, and led multiple Bible Studies. He was also known for his skills at the dishwasher as part of kitchen cleanup crews.

Eldon was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Mildred, and her husband, Robert Ellis, brother-in-law, Alden Holm. He is survived by his wife of fifty-three years, JoAnn; son, Nathan (Julie) Linscheid of Apple Valley, MN; daughter, Naomi (Samuel) Hamer of Orono, MN; five grandsons, Jakob and Markus Linscheid, Eli, Luke, and Joseph Hamer; two brothers, Luane (JoAnna) Linscheid, Clayton (Cheryl) Linscheid; 2 sisters, Vera Holm, Vernelle (John) Stoesz, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

In lieu of flower tributes please consider memorials to Church of the Lutheran Brethren Missions at 1020 W Alcott Ave, Fergus Falls MN 56537; i Point Bible Camp at 16157 Co Hwy 65, Vining, MN 56588, or any nature conservation project.

Memorial service will be Saturday, July 17, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Bethel Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls.

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 16, 2021 from 5 to 7 PM with a prayer service at 6:00 PM at the Glende-Nilson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls and will resume for one hour prior to the service at the church.

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