Iver Hustvedt

Iver Morris Hustvedt died of cancer in the morning of June 9, 2011 at his home on 14th Avenue North in South Saint Paul. His sister, Erna McGuire, his niece Christine Hustvedt Santangelo and his nephew Curtis Hustvedt were at his bedside when he died. He was eighty-three years old. The son of Lars and Matilda Hustvedt of Goodhue County and the third of four siblings, Iver was born on April 25, 1928. The grandchild of Norwegian immigrants on both his mother's and his father's side, he grew up speaking Norwegian as well as English, the latter language with the musical lilt known as a "brogue" among people in the community. His childhood was spent on his parents' farm during the harsh years of the Depression when the family lost forty acres of the sixty-acre property to foreclosure, a fate that, sadly, would eventually end the farm as a working enterprise. Despite the hardships, those were also the days of horse-drawn sleighs in winter and outings in the Model A in summer; of square dances called by his father, Lars; of frequent visits to close and dear neighbors, including the Ohnstads, Brekkes, and Esterbys; of shared newspapers and radios, of long bouts of storytelling; of barn raisings; and the rituals of making lefse and the annual Christmas beer. Iver was among the last children to attend the one-room schoolhouse not far from where he lived, District No. 45, after which he attended Cannon Falls High School. Like many rural students, he did not undertake the arduous trip back and forth from the farm to school. In winter, the heavy snows often made the roads impassible, and he spent his high school years as a boarder in town with Mrs. Agnes Swanson. He graduated in 1946 and, after working for a year to earn money for his tuition; he entered St. Olaf College as a freshman in the fall of 1947, graduating with a B.A. in English in 1952. The following September he was drafted into the army and, after basic training, served in Puerto Rico where he taught English to local soldiers. After his discharge in 1954, he studied geology at the University of Minnesota on the G.I. Bill, but did not pursue his graduate degree. Instead, he went into the civil service and worked for the Social Security Administration in Kansas City for a time, after which he returned to Minnesota. For many years, he was employed at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul as a member of the maintenance department and in his leisure time pursued his many interests. He read widely, was well versed in many subjects, including literature and history and, with the help of his computer, stayed in touch with family and friends by email. He enjoyed traveling and made trips to Europe and the Caribbean, as well as two excursions to Norway, during which he visited the birthplaces of his grandparents. His mother's father came from Underdahl in the Sogn fjord, and his father's father from Voss in the mountains of Western Norway. He also met and charmed the Bergen family of his Norwegian-born and raised sister-in-law, Ester Vegan Hustvedt. In his later years, Iver was an active member of the Sons of Norway Synnove-Nordkap 1-8 chapter in St. Paul and a regular visitor to the Senior Center in Inver Grove Heights, where he had many friends. After Lars Hustvedt died in 1973, Iver's mother, Matilda (known to many as Tilly), left the farm and moved into her son's house in South St. Paul, not far from where her only daughter, Erna, lived. For a number of years after her move, Tilly returned to her old home during the warm summer months until she became too frail to manage there alone. Iver lived with his mother until her death in 1991 after she had celebrated her ninety-eighth birthday. The farm remained in the family, and Iver Morris, along with his brother, Lloyd Hustvedt, who was a professor at St. Olaf College for forty years, spent many hours mowing the lawn, pruning, and maintaining the place for the members of the next generation, who have now inherited the property. Although he never married or had children, Iver Morris was a beloved son, brother, and uncle. He is survived by his sister, Erna McGuire of South St. Paul; his two sisters-in-law, Ester Vegan Hustvedt, of Northfield, Minnesota and Patricia Hustvedt of Renton, Washington; as well as his eleven nieces and nephews: Siri Hustvedt (Paul Auster), Astrid Hustvedt (Jon Kessler), Ingrid Hustvedt (Bruce Cutler) all residents of New York City, and Liv Remes Hustvedt (Stephen Remes) of Northfield, Minn.; Edward McGuire (Cissy Wong) of Tampa, Fla ; Dennis McGuire (Debra) of Papillion, Nebraska; Maureen Willliams of Minooka, Illinois; David Hustvedt (Annie) of Marysville, Wa. , Christine Hustvedt Santangelo (Mark) of Kent, Wa.; Eric Hustvedt (Randy) of Kinderhook, N.Y.; Curtis Hustvedt (Lynn) of Tacoma, Wa. as well as by a host of great nieces and nephews. Iver Hustvedt was preceded in death by his parents; his brother-in-law, Frank (Mac) McGuire; his younger brother, Stanley Hustvedt; his older brother, Lloyd Hustvedt; and his nephew Ben Richard McGuire. There will be a gathering in memory of Iver Hustvedt on Friday, June 17 at Luther Memorial Church, 315 15th Avenue in South Saint Paul from 4-7 PM. The funeral will be held Saturday, June 18 at 11:00 AM at Urland Church, 6940 County 9 Boulevard, Cannon Falls. To his family Iver Morris Hustvedt was known for his uncommon gentleness and kindness. He was gracious, humble, and unfailingly generous. Blending the two languages of that immigrant world which no longer exists, Lars Hustvedt called his son Iver Morris "den beste guten i hele country": the best boy in the whole country.

Funeral Home: Lundberg Funeral Home 5839 Hwy 19 Blvd Cannon Falls, MN US 55009

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Previous Events

Visitation
Friday, June 17, 2011
Service
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Graveside Service
Saturday, June 18, 2011

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