Fallen soldier remembered for musical gifts

Published 7:54 am Tuesday, March 1, 2011

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — Family and friends are remembering a fallen Minnesota soldier as kind, outgoing and musically-gifted.

The Department of Defense says Spc. Andrew Wilfahrt died Sunday when insurgents attacked his unit with a bomb in Kandahar province.

In his hometown of Rosemount, word of his death spread quickly Monday. Shelia Wandersee lives in the cul-de-sac where Wilfahrt’s parents reside. Wandersee says she remembers the melodies that would drift across the street when Wilfahrt was playing the piano.

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The soldier’s family was at Dover Air Force Base when Wilfahrt’s remains were returned to the U.S. Monday. The 31-year-old soldier was assigned to a military police battalion based in Hawaii. He enlisted in the Army in January 2009 and was deployed to Afghanistan last July.