Arnold Alme • 1924 - 2005

Arnold Alme, 81, Minot, died Saturday, September 17, 2005 in a Minot hospital.

Arnold Thomas "Arne" Alme was born June 24, 1924 to Joseph and Betsey (Hirengen) Alme on the family farm north of Balfour, North Dakota. The third of eleven children, he attended Cozy Corner School northwest of Balfour thru the 8th grade, followed by three years at Balfour High School, and graduated from Drake High School in 1942. Shortly after graduating from high school he met and fell in love with Madelyn "Madge" Follman, who was then teaching school near Drake. He entered the United States Navy in April of 1944 and attended Boot Camp at the Great Lakes Training Center in Illinois and Gunnery School in Guantanemo Bay, Cuba. While in the Navy he served as a gunner on PBM and PBY Seaplanes. He continued to court Madge from afar and on July 16, 1944 the two were married in Norman, Oklahoma.

Shortly after his honorable discharge from the Navy in March of 1946 he began farming the Gilbert Nelson farm north of Balfour, which he purchased the following year and where together he and Madge raised their four girls. In 1960 he purchased the George Nelson farm in Butte, North Dakota and with the expert help of his good friend George "Pat" Chambers, he continued farming both the Balfour and Butte farms. Money was often scarce, and among the many things he did to bring extra cash into the household were hauling coal, selling frozen fish from Canada, custom combining, selling crop insurance, working in the Tioga oil field, bartending at the Rainbow Inn in Balfour and starting the MAE Painting Company. In 1961, while continuing to farm, he joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a real estate appraiser in Riverdale, North Dakota where he would eventually move his family. In 1966 he joined the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Service in Minot. Eight years later, his four girls grown, he and Madge returned to Riverdale where Arne resumed work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from which he eventually retired as a realty specialist and land appraiser in 1984.

Shortly before his retirement from the Corps, he and Madge purchased a home on Lake Audubon where he would spend his post-retirement days working in the yard, fishing and counting the days until the next visit from any of their beloved grandchildren. In 2003 Arne and Madge purchased a "winter" home in Minot, where he resided until his death.
Although farming was his first love, Arne was also an avid hunter, fisherman and golfer. A true "relative" person, his happiest moments were spent in the company of his family, including his children, grandchildren, great-grandchild and brothers and sisters. He was very proud of his Norwegian heritage and cherished the trip he took back to Norway to see the original Alme family farm and meet his Norwegian counterparts. He loved attending Norsk Høstfest and family reunions where he soaked up the love and energy of everyone around him. He was a member of the 40 and 8 Club, the Butte Legion Club, Ducks Unlimited, Knights of Columbus, the Riverdale Country Club, the National Rifle Association, Sons of Norway, and Little Flower Catholic Church.

He is survived by three of his four daughters: Pamela Davy (Joel), Minot, ND; Penny Hamilton (Mark), Minot, ND; and Patricia Rostvedt (Craig), Denver, CO. He was the proud grandfather of six grandchildren: Jason Rostvedt (Deborah) Denver, CO; Kendra Rostvedt DeHaven (Bryan), Denver, CO; Maria Hamilton King (Colton), Chicago, IL; Chappy Hamilton Windsor (Jake), Garrison, ND; Casey Paul, New York, NY, and Kelly Paul, New York, NY; and the owner of one fine little Pug dog, Rocky. He was thrilled to have one great-grandchild, Cade Thomas Rostvedt, Denver, CO. He is also survived by his brothers Dennis (Colleen), St. Paul, MN; Norman (LaVonne), Milnor, ND; Tom (Pat), Balfour, ND; Russell (Judy), Jasper, GA; Joe (Joyce), Minot, ND; sister Mildred Canevello, Minot, ND; aunt Ethel Hirnengen Ackerman, Yakima, WA and special friends, Colin MacDonald, Coleharbor, ND, Ian MacDonald, Coleharbor, ND, and Katey Claire Eickhoff, New Richmond,WI.
He was preceded in death by his daughter Paula Alme Paul, son-in-law Joel Davy, parents Joseph & Betsey Alme, brothers Melvin (Laura/Cleo) Alme and Robert (Roberta) Alme, sisters Laura Welsh (Lyle) and Betty Wiper (Bob), and his faithful hunting buddy and weimeraner, Blaze.

Visitation: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 from noon until 5:00 p.m. at the Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot, then continuing from 6:00 until 7:00 at the Stave Church located in the Scandinavian Heritage Park, Minot.

Vigil Prayer Service: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at the Gol Stave Church, located in the Scandinavian Heritage Park.

Mass of Christian Burial: Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at Little Flower Catholic Church, Minot

Burial: Thursday at 3:00 p.m. at the Balfour Cemetery, Balfour, ND.

Memorials preferred to the Paulie Paul Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Back to Obituaries