1939
Darrell
2017
Darrell Gulbrandson
July 18, 1939 — March 30, 2017
Darrell Lloyd Gulbrandson, 77 of Alexandria, formerly of Herman, passed away March 30, 2017, at his home in Alexandria after a long illness as the result of polio.
Darrell was born July 18, 1939, at the Powers Hospital in Barrett, Minnesota to Lloyd and Mildred (Nelson) Gulbrandson. On October 1, 1948, Darrell was diagnosed with Bulbar and Spinal Polio and his parents took him to Sister Kenny Hospital in Minneapolis. He was in a coma and on a chest respirator for two weeks and was paralyzed for two months. He spent five and one-half months in Sister Kenny.
Darrell attended District 20 elementary school in Roseville Township. He graduated from Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo, ND in May of 1957. He then signed up with the National Guard, and in 1960, he transferred to the Army. In December 1962, Darrell was sent to Baumholder, Germany for thirteen months. He was a teletype operator and a jeep driver. He was discharged from the Army in February, 1964. Darrell farmed on the family homestead near Herman until 1994. He worked at HAPCO in Hoffman, Wagners in Herman, and Andes Tower Hills by Kensington, before retiring in 2014.
On November 18, 1974, he married Shirley Bullick in Sisseton, SD. In 1977, they applied for a foster license so they could help children from Ireland. Over almost twenty years of foster care they cared for thirty-seven children with five being from Ireland. Shirley passed away on October 5, 1994.
On February 14, 2006, Darrell married Julia (Steinbrecher) Rode in Minneapolis and took on two step-children. Darrell loved to visit, clip little sayings and travel. He travelled four times to Ireland. Darrell and Julia lived on the family farm near Herman, until February of 2017, when they moved to Alexandria.
Darrell is survived by his wife, Julia; Step-children, Trystan Rode of Herman and Anika Rode of Long Prairie; special foster children, Alison Gilmore (John Toland), Stephen (Joanne) Gilmore, Joanne (Julian) Fowler, Tanya (Willie) West, Clare (Bert) Robinson all from Northern Ireland, Lorrie Lampert from Spring Brook, WI, Sandra (Robert) Defelice-Payne of Woodbury and many more foster children and foster grandchildren; siblings, Wally (Beverly) Gulbrandson of Alexandria, Dianna Gulbrandson (Rick Klassen) of Minneapolis, Vickie (Jim) Foster of Plymouth, Kathleen (Richard) Bullick of Alexandria, Roger (Karen) Quick of Barrett, Loren Quick of Albuquerque , NM and Daryl Quick of Fergus Falls; sister-in-law, Betty Gulbrandson of Watertown; father and mother-in-law, Duane (Colette) Steinbrecher of Stanwood, WA; Julia's siblings, Jamin (Bonnie) Steinbrecher of Moose Jaw, Sask., Jonita (Dwayne) Groves of Fairmont, OK and Jared (Kelly) Steinbrecher of Stanwood, WA; aunts, Cleo Gandrud of Benson and Arlene Gulbrandson of Herman along with many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Mildred; step-mother, Beverly; wife, Shirley; brother, Kenneth, and nephew Todd.
Funeral Service: 1:00 PM, Saturday, April 8, 2017, at the Hoffman Community Center
Visitation: one hour prior
Military Honors: Kensington American Legion Post 268
Interment: Summit Cemetery, Morris
Funeral Home: Erickson-Smith of Hoffman
Condolences: EricksonSmithFH.com
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Service
Saturday, April 8, 2017
cemetery
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Darrell was born July 18, 1939, at the Powers Hospital in Barrett, Minnesota to Lloyd and Mildred (Nelson) Gulbrandson. On October 1, 1948, Darrell was diagnosed with Bulbar and Spinal Polio and his parents took him to Sister Kenny Hospital in Minneapolis. He was in a coma and on a chest respirator for two weeks and was paralyzed for two months. He spent five and one-half months in Sister Kenny.
Darrell attended District 20 elementary school in Roseville Township. He graduated from Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo, ND in May of 1957. He then signed up with the National Guard, and in 1960, he transferred to the Army. In December 1962, Darrell was sent to Baumholder, Germany for thirteen months. He was a teletype operator and a jeep driver. He was discharged from the Army in February, 1964. Darrell farmed on the family homestead near Herman until 1994. He worked at HAPCO in Hoffman, Wagners in Herman, and Andes Tower Hills by Kensington, before retiring in 2014.
On November 18, 1974, he married Shirley Bullick in Sisseton, SD. In 1977, they applied for a foster license so they could help children from Ireland. Over almost twenty years of foster care they cared for thirty-seven children with five being from Ireland. Shirley passed away on October 5, 1994.
On February 14, 2006, Darrell married Julia (Steinbrecher) Rode in Minneapolis and took on two step-children. Darrell loved to visit, clip little sayings and travel. He travelled four times to Ireland. Darrell and Julia lived on the family farm near Herman, until February of 2017, when they moved to Alexandria.
Darrell is survived by his wife, Julia; Step-children, Trystan Rode of Herman and Anika Rode of Long Prairie; special foster children, Alison Gilmore (John Toland), Stephen (Joanne) Gilmore, Joanne (Julian) Fowler, Tanya (Willie) West, Clare (Bert) Robinson all from Northern Ireland, Lorrie Lampert from Spring Brook, WI, Sandra (Robert) Defelice-Payne of Woodbury and many more foster children and foster grandchildren; siblings, Wally (Beverly) Gulbrandson of Alexandria, Dianna Gulbrandson (Rick Klassen) of Minneapolis, Vickie (Jim) Foster of Plymouth, Kathleen (Richard) Bullick of Alexandria, Roger (Karen) Quick of Barrett, Loren Quick of Albuquerque , NM and Daryl Quick of Fergus Falls; sister-in-law, Betty Gulbrandson of Watertown; father and mother-in-law, Duane (Colette) Steinbrecher of Stanwood, WA; Julia's siblings, Jamin (Bonnie) Steinbrecher of Moose Jaw, Sask., Jonita (Dwayne) Groves of Fairmont, OK and Jared (Kelly) Steinbrecher of Stanwood, WA; aunts, Cleo Gandrud of Benson and Arlene Gulbrandson of Herman along with many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Mildred; step-mother, Beverly; wife, Shirley; brother, Kenneth, and nephew Todd.
Funeral Service: 1:00 PM, Saturday, April 8, 2017, at the Hoffman Community Center
Visitation: one hour prior
Military Honors: Kensington American Legion Post 268
Interment: Summit Cemetery, Morris
Funeral Home: Erickson-Smith of Hoffman
Condolences: EricksonSmithFH.com
Previous Events
VisitationSaturday, April 8, 2017
12:00 PM
- 1:00 PM
Hoffman Community Center
127 Main Ave
Hoffman, MN 56339
Saturday, April 8, 2017
1:00 PM
Hoffman Community Center
127 Main Ave
Hoffman, MN 56339
Saturday, April 8, 2017
3:30 PM
Summit Cemetery
116 1st Street NE
Elbow Lake, MN 56531
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