Lynn E Halverson

Lynn Evan Halverson – 1945 – 2018 Lynn Evan Halverson was 72 years old when he fell asleep in death at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana. Lynn was born in Madison, Wisconsin, the first of four children, to Art and Mary Jane Halverson. His first home was with his maternal grandparents, Louis and Lillian Hoffman while his dad was in the South Pacific on a medical ship off the coast of Australia. Once his dad came home for good, he moved his little family to the home of his parents, John and Anna Halverson and then Marian was born so Lynn would have a little sister and then came Tom and Dean. Lynn went all through school in Madison, graduating from East High in 1963, then put himself through college working at Rennebohm’s Rexall Drug Stores behind the soda fountain. In 1968 he graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin Madison with his BA in linguistics and a minor in history. His intention was to become a school teacher but instead he became interested in the funeral business and interned with Sam Sanfillippo at Fitch-Lawrence Funeral Home in Madison. About this time he became interested in studying the Bible and found that “the funeral business had no future” (his words). He treated himself to an awesome summer in Norway upon graduation. Around the time he graduated from the university, he went searching for answers to Bible questions. What he found struck a chord in him that he took to his heart and believed for the rest of his life. Immediately upon his baptism early in 1968, he began preaching and telling what he’d found out to all whom he knew. Also, at this time he went to work with the Copps Corporation, a chain of retail stores. During this time he met Jeris Pedersen and they were married on February 6, 1971, a union that has lasted 47 years. Lynn served as an elder in the Madison, Monona Grove Congregation. Erik Leif came along on September 9, 1972, and five years later Anna Lynn was born on October 3, 1977. Lynn became assistant manager at the Copps store in Monona, Wisconsin. Copps transferred him to Oshkosh in 1981 where he became full store manager. In 1984 when the company made some changes and discontinued the division that Lynn was in, he took this opportunity to move his family out west. In Missoula, Lynn worked for the Sprouse-Reitz Co. Over the years he was an elder with the Missoula East Congregation (Blackfoot) of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He conducted Watchtower study, counseled the Ministry School, gave public talks, and also for many years conducted the Congregation Book Study in his home each week. After the Sprouse-Reitz company was sold, he managed a night crew with Automated Maintenance Services cleaning the Target store. Eventually he went with Albertsons and cashiered for about 12 years at the East Gate store until health issues forced him to retire. Lynn was a man of many interests. He collected coins, did genealogy research, played piano and accordion, loved gardening, was addicted to Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and crossword puzzles, was a good cook, spoke Norwegian, German, and Russian fluently, and spoiled his dogs shamelessly. In later years his eyesight was not good due to diabetes preventing him from driving, and so often he would ride the city bus around town. In the last few months, Lynn spent more and more time at home as his strength began to fail and his eyesight and hearing dimmed. Those who have gone before him are his grandparents, mother and father, Uncle Ted and Aunt Jo Halverson, Aunt Dorothy Halverson, Aunt Myrt Kraemer, Aunt Joyce Hoffman, Aunt Ruth Faia, Uncle Louis Hoffman, Aunt Maxine Hoffman; Cousin Ann Dunbar, Father-in-law, Jerry Pedersen; Sister-in-law, Reesy Chambers, and his Boston terrier, Toby. Lynn is survived by his wife, Jeris; his son, Erik Halverson; his daughter, Anna (Dave) Helander; his sister, Marian (Raymond) Clish; his brother Thomas (Linda) Halverson; and his brother Dean (Roberta) Halverson. His many nieces and nephews include Greg (Pilar) Clish; Lori Clish; Jeff (Heather) Clish; Aaron (Katie) Halverson; Brian (Denise) Halverson; Wendy (Marc) Bergez; Margot Wilder; Andrew Halverson; Dawn (John) Jones; his cousins, Alan Halverson; Gary Kraemer; Sheena Galen; James Dunbar; Glenn, John, and Carl Hoffman; Dean and Marc Faia, Pam Broome; mother-in-law, Marion Pedersen. There are also many more grand-nieces and –nephews and aunts and uncles and cousins and distant relatives in Norway and his faithful and constant companion in his last years, Bella, his Pomeranian. The family would like to send a special thanks to Dr. Diane Yahn, Dr. Bradley Berry, Deb Sibrant, and all the nurses and staff of 4 North at St. Patrick Hospital for their care and attention to Lynn. Funeral services will be April 7, 2018, at 2 p. m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1115 Reserve Street, Missoula, Montana. Cremation and Burial Society of the Rockies is in charge of arrangements.