Noble J. Meisdalen

MALTA-Noble J. Meisdalen 93, a WWII Army Veteran and farmer rancher, died Friday, January 9, 2015 at the Phillip County Hospital of natural causes.

The family received friends at 7 p.m., Monday, January 12 at the Kirkwood Memorial Chapel. Funeral services were Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at the Elim Lutheran Brethren Church. Interment will be in the Malta Cemetery. Condolences for the family may be left at http://www.kirkwoodfuneralhome.com

He was born November 7, 1921 to Halvor and Frida Meisdalen on the family farm 15 miles southeast of Malta. He joined two older siblings, Fridolph (Fred) and Evangeline. He was baptized and confirmed at the Emmanuel Lutheran Brethren Church in the Bennett Lake Community. The family also attended Scandia Lutheran Church some and later the Elim Lutheran Church in Malta. He attended country school at the Pioneer and the Busy Bee schools, graduating from the eighth grade. Rather than move to Malta to go to high school he chose to stay at home and help his parents on the farm. From that time on he was self-educated, doing extensive reading throughout his entire life. He never stopped learning and could converse with anyone on a wide range of topics. He had a keen mind up until the end.

Noble farmed with his dad and brother for the next several years until he was drafted into the Army in the fall of 1942 at the age of 21. He served in the Army for the next three years and was assigned to a hospital unit in England and France during World War II. He helped treat casualties from D Day and the Battle of the Bulge. He was discharged in 1945 and returned home that fall. After the war he went to work for his uncle, Carl Wekander, and purchased Carl's farm in 1949. Noble also farmed with his father and his brother on the Meisdalen farm during this time.

On March 1, 1958, Noble married Lillian Gunhus, a childhood friend whom he had known his entire life. They were married in Seattle, Washington as Lillian had relocated to the west coast with her parents several years earlier. Noble and Lillian began their married life together on the Meisdalen farm and proceeded to build a new house and a future together. These were happy days in the Bennett Lake community as the many neighbors were all close friends and there were many young families. They had two sons, John, born 1959, and Glenn, born 1961. Noble continued to farm with his dad, his brother, and later his sons and grandsons for the next 50 plus years. He moved to Malta at age 90 to care for his wife until she passed away three years later.

Noble had a positive attitude, always thinking things would get better, rains would come and prices would improve. He recently talked about helping with the spring work on the farm, driving tractor once again if someone would help him get up into the cab. He considered himself fortunate to have lived long enough to have gotten to know and spend time with his grandchildren.

In his younger years Noble was active in the Democratic Party and the Farmers Union.

He is survived by his son John (Susan) grandchildren, Alec, Ian, Caleb, Julia, and Kirsta; son Glenn (Andrea) and step-grandson Chris.

He was preceded in death by his brother Fridolph, sister Evangeline and his wife of 56 years, Lillian.