BENSON -- Roland Ludwig Preuss, 91, of Benson died Monday at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.
The service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Our Redeemers Lutheran Church in Benson.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at the Six Mile Grove Lutheran Cemetery. Arrangements are with the Zniewski Funeral Home in Benson.
He was born March 11, 1917, in Echo to Rudolph and Amanda (Bendix) Preuss. When he was 12 the family moved to Lake Hazel. He attended school at District 15 East. Two years later they moved to Cashel Township south of Benson. He graduated from the eighth grade in District 21. He then attended Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm and graduated in 1939.
He married Alma Larson on March 20, 1940, in Danvers. They farmed for many years south of Benson. Alma died in 1963. He quit farming and took a job at Tyler Corp. in Benson.
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He married Thelma Ellingson on April 16, 1966, in Benson. In 1975, he was transferred to Yankton, S.D., by Tyler Corp. He remained in Yankton for five years. He was then transferred back to Benson where he continued with the company for two more years. He managed the Benson Mobil Manor for five years. After retiring, he worked part time for several area farmers operating farm machinery. They moved into the Golden Living Center in March.
He was a member of Six Mile Grove Lutheran Church where he served on the church council, was a member of the men's club and taught Sunday school for several years. He served as a 4-H Club leader and 4-H Federation leader for many years.
He is survived by his second wife; children: Richard (and Sue) Preuss of Enid, Okla., Robert Preuss of Montana, David Preuss of Coon Rapids, and Galen Preuss of Anchorage, Ark., Ramona Sunstrom of Wadena, and Sharon (and Chuck) Rhodes of Grantsburg, Wis.; one stepson: Donald (and Jan) Ellingson of Brooten; two stepdaughters: Darlene Hagen of Boise, Idaho and Sharon (and Richard) Capes of Kimball; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; 22 step-great-grandchildren; siblings: Arden Preuss of Palisade, Gerhardt (and Mary Jo) Preuss of Oklahoma, Mabel (and Howard) Blynn of Austin and Lucille (and Delmar) Hanson of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.
He was preceded in death by his first wife; a baby daughter: Barbara Preuss; four brothers; three sisters; a step-son: Robert Ellingson; and two step-daughters: Ruby Samson and Louise Mathiesen.
