Orville "Orlo" Orlando Liabraaten

Orville Orlando “Orlo” LiaBraaten, 91, Superior resident, died Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at Villa Marina Health and Rehabilitation Center in Superior.

He was born on February 28, 1919 in Gonvick, MN to Albin and Clara (Swensen) LiaBraaten.

After high school in Gonvick, Orlo moved to Bemidji, where he worked in an auto garage. He completed an automotive course at Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis, MN and continued to work in Bemidji where he met Lucille Lee in 1939 who just happened to be roommate to his sister Carole at Bemidji State Teachers College.

Then Orlo worked for Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, CA while Lucille taught first grade and they lived in Fairfield, CA. On September 1, 1944 in San Diego, CA they got married and recently celebrated sixty-five years of marriage before her passing in May of 2010.

In 1948 they moved to Virginia, MN with their young sons and daughter, and Orlo built Magiflame Gas Company, a propane business which he operated for many years before retiring on August 7, 1980. Upon first moving to Virginia, Orlo and Lucille rented a house in town, while winterizing a summer cottage on Sand Lake. As the family grew larger, they moved to Virginia in July of 1953 which had room for the seven J’s. In 1966, Orlo and Lucille built a large home just outside Virginia. When it burned down in 1972 from an electrical short, he rebuilt the exact same house all over again.

Many years of gardening, fishing and camping trips including a trip to Alaska in 1959 in which he built a tent trailer from scratch and took his family on an 8400 mile trip, woodworking projects, celebrations, schooling and general “tinkering” were spent there. He liked to build, cutting trees down from out back; he built a large log cabin on Lake Vermillion in 1992 (just for fun) with his own trees. In fact, he was 73 years old and cut 73 pines for the project.

Orlo was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, the Sons of Norway, the Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, a Boy Scout Leader and President of Minnesota Gas Association.

Orlo is survived by seven children, Jim (Linda) LiaBraaten, Bellevue, NE, Jack (Connie) LiaBraaten, Hermantown, MN, Judy (Ron) Strasburg, Superior, WI, Joel LiaBraaten, Bend, OR, Jerry (Renee) LiaBraaten, Lincolnville, ME, Joy (Joel) Johnson, Superior, WI, Jeffrey LiaBraaten (Tom Hufford), Annandale, VA; fifteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; sister, Bernice Gustafson, Bremerton, WA; brothers, Glenn (Phyllis), Dennis (Ernestine), Milo (Carol) and Gerald LiaBraaten.

He is preceded in death by his “best girl” Lucille “Lou” LiaBraaten, his parents, sisters Doris Hickok and Carole Lone.

The funeral service will be at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 14, 2011 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1924 Wyoming Avenue in Superior with Pastor Sarah Kerkes officiating.

Inurnment together with his wife Lucille will take place at a later date.

Should friends desire, memorials may be made in Orlo’s name to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.

The Downs-LeSage Funeral Home, 1304 Hammond Avenue, Superior is assisting the family with arrangements.
To leave an online condolence or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.downs-lesage.com.