Alfred Clifford Landaas

Funeral services for Alfred C. Landaas, age 91 of Albert Lea will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. from Round Prairie Lutheran Church.  Pastor Kent Otterman will officiate.  Burial will be at the Round Prairie Cemetery with Military Honors accorded by the Freeborn County Veterans organization.  Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 - 7:00 p.m. at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home.

Alfred C. Landaas was born on April 30, 1919 to Lars and Anna (Langeland) Landaas in rural Twin Lakes.  He was baptized and confirmed by Rev. Storaslie at the Emmons Lutheran Church.  He attended country school and then farmed with his father.  In 1941 Alfred was drafted into the U.S. Army with the first group of draftees from Freeborn County.  He was stationed at Ft. Scott in the Presidio of San Francisco, CA., where his company guarded the Golden Gate Bridge.  On Dec. 5, 1942 he was united in marriage to Mary Andersen in a military wedding at the Ft. Scott Chapel by Chaplain Alfred Hansen.  He was stationed there until 1945 when he was transferred to Camp Howzie at Gainesville, Texas and they lived there approximately one year.  Alfred was then sent to Japan, but while on the transport ship the Japanese surrendered so they stayed in the Phillipines.  He always joked that the enemy heard he was coming.  He was honorably discharged in Jan. of 1946 and returned to Albert Lea.  Alfred was employed at Wilson's until 1948 when he and his wife began farming in Freeman Township where they lived for 58 yrs.  He was also employed at Streators for 11 yrs. and then became a rural letter carrier and retired from that position in 1981.  He then worked for Lowell Ross Crop farming for 11 yrs and then for the Behrends Bros. for 13 yrs.  He began farming with a team of horses and a 2 row corn planter and with the Behrends, he drove a tractor with air conditioning and a television.  Alfred was a supervisor for the Freeman Township for 12 yrs, umpired for many Little League baseball games, was a 4-H leader, church treasurer and usher.  He enjoyed all sports, especially when his children and grandchildren were competing.  Alfred was instrumental in starting the Round Prairie Avenue of Flags and was a member of the Kiwanis II and the Emmons American Legion and past member of the Church Dart Ball League.  Two highlites of his later life were when his nieces and nephews surprised him with a 90th birthday party and when he was able to go on the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. to see the WWII Memorial with his son Jim and being surprised there by his son Bob and grandson Bryan.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Mary, son Robert (Carol) Landaas, Southern Pines, NC., daughter Jean, Austin, MN., and son James (Julie) Landaas, Gaylord, MN.  Eight grandchildren; Michael and Jennifer Hage, Theresa Rasmussen, Jason and Bryan Landaas, BJ Landaas, Nathan and Aaron Landaas.  Great-grandchildren; Bailey, Emily, Alax, Isaac, Rae Lyn, Londyn and Isaiah.  Sister Dorothy Reyerson, Northwood, IA., sisters-in-law, Harriet Wangen, Vange Landaas and Hazel Doyle all of Albert Lea.  Many nieces and nephews and cousins in Norway.

He was preceded in death by his parents, infant son Richard, infant twin brother and sister, brothers, Oscar and Lloyd; sisters, Lillian Hoyne, Myrtle Peterson and Martha Klukow and two great-grandchildren in infancy.