Ole Emerson Winje

Ole Winje, of Milan, died on Friday, August 24, 2007 at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, MN at the age of 87.

Memorial services will be conducted on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 1:30 P.M.at Kviteseid Lutheran Church in Milan, with Rev. Tom Opoien officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery.

Ole Emerson Winje was born on March 17, 1920 in Milan, MN to Ole and Marit (Wogan) Winje. He was baptized and confirmed at Kviteseid Lutheran Church, attended Milan Public Schools and graduated from Milan High School. He served in the US Army during WW II and was stationed in
Africa and the Philippines. After the war, he worked in the Milan area primarily delivering fuel and heating oil for various oil companies, starting with Dove oil and finally retiring from Cenex. For many years, Ole also served with the Milan Fire Department. He is noted for having gone into the burning Kvitseid Lutheran Church in order to save the church records. Throughout his life, Ole enjoyed all things outdoors.  He loved hunting and fishing and passed along his love for those activities to many a young man. In his later years, golf became his passion and for as long as he could get around the course, he was a frequent visitor to local golf courses. He was a lifelong member of the Kvitseid Lutheran Church.

He is survived by sister Norma Rau, who lives in Ellensburg, Washington.

Ole was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Ernest “Spun”, Floyd, Vernal and Norman “Bob” and by sister Melba Flatness as well as numerous half-brothers and sisters.

Memorials may be directed to the Kvitseid Lutheran Church.

The family would like to take this opportunity to thank the community of Milan for the kind support and caring manner in which they have treated Ole over the years. He was a special guy to all of us.