Hanska Palmer Lokre, 85, of LaSalle, died Sunday, October 18, 2009, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.
Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, October 22 at the LaSalle Lutheran Church in LaSalle with Rev. Aaron Suomala Folkerds officiating. Burial will follow in the Butternut Valley Cemetery, rural Lake Crystal.
Visitation will be 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at Schmucker Funeral Service in Hanska, and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Palmer Rudolph Lokre, the son of Gregor and Eldrid (Glimsdahl) Lokre, was born September 26, 1924 in Butternut Township, Blue Earth County where he grew up on the family farm and attended country school and Madelia High School. He quit school to assume management of the family farm while his brothers served in the military during World War II. Palmer was united in marriage to Bonita Oren on November 19, 1949 at Linden Lutheran Church, rural Hanska. They rented various farms for several years before purchasing their own farm in 1962. In addition to farming, he was foreman of an elevator construction crew which built and serviced elevators in Lewisville, St. James, Truman and the surrounding area. He was a member of LaSalle Lutheran Church.
Survivors include his wife Bonnie of rural St. James; daughter, Sheryl Trullinger and her husband Larry of Madelia; sons, Randy Lokre and his wife Jan of St. James, David Lokre and his wife Deb of Colorado Springs, CO; 8 grandchildren; 4 great-grandchildren; brothers, Erling Lokre of Lake Crystal, Gerhard Lokre and his wife Doris of Marshfield, WI; sister, Arlene Petrauskas of Santa Barbara, CA; sister-in-law, Virginia Pierson and her husband Robert of Hanska; brother-in-law, Elred Oren of Madelia; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.
In addition to his parents, Palmer was preceded in death by brothers, Paul and Olav in infancy on Ellis Island upon arrival to the U.S. from Norway. He was also preceded in death by brothers, Paul Olav (named after the infant brothers) and Arnold Lokre; sisters, Margaret McDonald and Ruth Sandstrom.
