Arnold “Pete” Bergstrom, 87, of Austin, Minn., died on Jan. 18, 2013, at his home.

Arnold was born on Sept. 29, 1925, in Freeborn County, Minn. to Myrtle and William Bergstrom.  He attended Mower County Rural Schools in District 64 and later graduated from Austin Public Schools in 1943.

On July 20, 1944, he married Mildred Ruth Reimann at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hollandale, Minn. They resided on the family farm in the Corning, Minn. area. From 1957 to 1960, the family moved to a dairy operation in Pine City, Minn.

Arnold was a member of Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church, rural Austin. He was also a member of the Austin Moose Lodge No. 1180 and belonged to the Golden Age card group.  He was chairman of the School District No. 78, O’Leary School and was instrumental in helping consolidate the country school into the Blooming Prairie, Minnesota School District No. 756 in 1957. He was also on the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Board in Moscow Township.

Arnold’s occupation was to care for the land.  A farmer he was.  He farmed and milked dairy cows in Moscow Township in Freeborn County, Minn.  In 1965, he advanced his dairy operation to a loose-housing Holstein operation.

He enjoyed fishing, deer hunting, bowling, playing cards, casinos, Minnesota Twins and football.  It was fun for his family to continue playing cards during his hospice care.

Arnold is survived by his children Lonna Lysne (Rich Epp), rural Owatonna, Minn.; Linda (Nolan) Christianson, Blooming Prairie, Minn., Patricia Bergstrom, Blaine, Minn.; Daniel (Diane) Bergstrom, Lansing, Minn.; grandchildren: Heather, Abraham, Tonya, Aaron, Lianna, Sarah, Blake, Erin, Tyler and Cody; great grandchildren: Taylor, Deizel, Robyn, Ryan, Anika, Cody, Emma, Cole, Cade, Addison, Aden, Michael, and Ethan; special friend, Helen Broitzman.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mildred Ruth; his son Timothy Dean; his parents William Bergstrom and Myrtle (Bergstrom) Johnson; sister and brother-in-law Marion and Nordahl Tollefson; brother and sister-in-law Richard and Eunice Bergstrom.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church with the Rev. Jonathan Davis officiating. Interment will be at Grandview Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church for one hour before the service on Tuesday morning.  Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.