Lawrence J. Lerdal, 89, of Humboldt, passed away March 31, 2009 at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Interment services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday at Indian Mound Cemetery, Humboldt. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the Zion Lutheran Church with the Rev. J.K. Raether and Rev. Aaron Flatau officiating. Visitation with the family will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday at the The Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt.
Lawrence Jesse Lerdal, the son of Lawrence Jacob and Jessie (Strang) Lerdal, was born March 21, 1920 near Renwick, Iowa. He was baptized June 5, 1920 and was confirmed August 5, 1934 at Lake Lutheran Church. He graduated from Renwick Public High School in 1937. He helped on the family farm and worked for area neighbors. He attended Iowa State University. He enlisted in January 1942 and served in the Quartermaster Corps including 19 months in the European Theater in Italy and France. He was honorable discharged in November of 1945. He was united in marriage to Muriel Haaland August 3, 1946. He started farming in 1946 near Renwick in the farm he grew up on for seven years and moved to a farm in the Humboldt area in 1954. In 1968, he was elected County Auditor and served until 1981. He then became County Zoning Administrator/Sanitarian until his retirement in 1993. They moved to Humboldt in 1986 and to the Springvale Senior Living in 2001. He served as treasurer and on the Stewardship Committee of the Zion Lutheran Church and was a long-time active member of the Noon Kiwanis Club.
Mr. Lerdal was preceded in death by his parents; wife Muriel; infant brother Robert; brothers Don and James; and sister Mina Harvey. He is survived by his children, Carol (David) Lee of Bloomington, MN, Scott (Jacki) Lerdal of Humboldt, L. David (Pam) Lerdal of Redwood Falls, MN, and Susan Lerdal of Urbandale; 8 grandchildren; and 17 great grandchildren.