Reuel "Arlen" Ebert

Arlen Ebert, of Fairmont, formerly of Truman, passed away on January 8, 2019 at Buffalo Hospital at the age of 86. Visitation will be held Sunday from 3-6 PM at Zaharia Family Funeral Home in Truman. A Celebration of his life will be held on Monday, January 14, 2019 at 2:30 PM at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Fairmont. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be at a later date at St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery in Truman.

Reuel Arlen Ebert was born to Reuel and Clara (Selsvold) Ebert, on February 8, 1932 at the Fairmont Hospital. He was baptized as an infant by Rev. H. Heineman and was confirmed by Rev. E.T. Heyne on April 14, 1946 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Truman. As a child he attended Truman Public Schools and graduated from Truman High School in 1950. He attended Carleton College in Northfield and the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. On August 29, 1953 he married Doreen Louise Geistfeld by Rev. O. F. Hinrichs at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Truman. 

They lived in Minneapolis and later moved back to Truman where they raised their family. He worked for his father’s hardware store, Ebert Hardware, and in farm management. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1959 with a major in Agronomy and started a seed business, from which he retired in 1997. In retirement he became an avid “auction buff,” amassing a collection of various antiques and collectables.

His other interests included playing cards, hunting pheasants and ducks, and fishing. In their 65 years of marriage, Arlen and Doreen enjoyed trips to Europe, Mexico, Canada, Alaska, and other sites across the continental US. They made two trips to Norway to visit relatives of Arlen’s mother, Clara. He treasured spending time at Spider Lake near Grand Rapids, where his parents had a cabin and his sister and family lived for many years.

R. Arlen was a member of the Truman Fire Department for 23 years and served on the Truman Planning and Zoning Commission and the Public Utility Commission for 12 years. He was a Firearm training instructor for 20 years and a Boy Scout (Webelos) leader. He was also a member of the Farm Bureau, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Minnesota Crop Improvement Association, and Southern Minnesota Corn Economics Group.  He was chosen as a Minnesota Premier Seed Grower in the 1980s, and served on various boards, including the School Board at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in Truman. Later, he became a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Fairmont and served on several boards.

Arlen enjoyed his family and was proud of their accomplishments. Those who are left to cherish his memory are his wife of 65 years, Doreen Ebert of Fairmont; three children Kirk Ebert of Bryan OH, Keith (Julie) Ebert of Fairmont, and Kimberly (Dennis) Gleason of Buffalo; grandchildren Melissa (Mark) Keefer, DeAnn (Ben) Loll, Renae (Matt) Rimmer, Michael (Heather) Ebert, Neil Gleason, and Karleigh Ebert; great-grandchildren Zoey Guzman, Jonah, Oliver, Clara, and Isaiah Loll, Olivia and Colin Keefer, and Leopold Arlen Ebert; Two sisters-in-law Jan Warrington and Judi (Dr. Richard) Bergen; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Arlen is preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law Ed and Marian Geistfeld, sister LouAnn (Robert) Kilpatrick, and brother-in-law Ed Warrington.

Memorials are preferred to Truman Historical Museum or Immanuel Lutheran Church in Fairmont.

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