Faye Akerson

Faye Frances Akerson (née Ostby) passed away peacefully in the Wheaton, MN, hospital surrounded by her family on September 10, 2016, at the age of 76.

A Celebration of Faye's Life will be Thursday, September 15, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Lutheran Church, rural Rosholt with a reception and luncheon to follow at the Rosholt Community Center. Officiants will be Rev. Suzanne Benidt and Rev. Sheila Pohl. Music will be provided by organist Lana Sand and vocalists Paul and Diane Bartnick and the Anderson Quartet.

Burial will be in the St. Joseph Lutheran Cemetery, rural Rosholt. Honorary urn bearers will be all of Faye's friends. Active urn bearers will be Faye's godchildren, Timothy Ostby, Sheila Pohl, Brian Johnson, Nancy Nash, Ann Faldin, Erik Danger, Mitch Ekstrom, and David Johnson.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. followed by a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at the Eggers Funeral Home in Rosholt.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Rosholt Alumni Scholarship Fund or the Rosholt Ambulance Service.

Faye was born on March 13, 1940, in Sisseton, SD, to Peter Ostby and Frances "Fanny" Ostby (née Bisek). She was baptized in Brandvold Lutheran Church, was raised on a farm in Victor Township, and was confirmed in Trondhjem Lutheran Church. She attended Crawford Country School and her first job was working as a cafe waitress with Flossie Larson. She was named the Homecoming Queen in 1958, and she graduated from Rosholt High School the following year.

Faye married her first love and childhood sweetheart Louie Akerson on September 20, 1959, at Trondhjem Lutheran Church, and thereafter they lived on several farms near Rosholt, SD. They welcomed their son Kirk into their family in 1960 and four years later - on Kirk's 4th birthday - they brought their daughter Kimberly home from the hospital to join them. The couple moved into Rosholt in 1966, and in 1968 Faye was among the first of the nurses' aides hired at the Rosholt Nursing Home where she worked until she and Louie purchased the Osheim Hardware store in 1972. Together they turned it into Akerson's Hardware store, serving their friends and neighbors until 1986.

Thereafter, Faye and Louie moved to Roseville, MN, to work together as estate managers and caregivers for Mrs. Ruth Johnson. Through a referral in 1996, they moved to Edina, MN, to work for Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Eloise Pohlad in the same capacity. Faye and Louie retired in 2009 to their home in Rosholt where Faye then worked for a time at Vintage Inspired Boutique & Delectable Treats with Melinda Ceroll and Linda Roob.

Faye was "the hostess with the mostest" and she loved welcoming company, entertaining and cooking for her family. She was a talented homemaker - she had a place for everything and everything in its place - and many would have been happy to eat off of her floor without hesitation. She was a talented seamstress and enjoyed making clothes for her children and grandchildren, and she always made sure everything was ironed to crisp perfection. After being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness at age 29, Faye faced the news with determination and a fighting spirit, and she maintained a relentlessly positive attitude throughout the many health challenges in her life. She served as an example of resilience and strength to everyone who knew her. She was a friend to all she met, and to know her was to love her.

Faye was an active and dedicated member of St. Joseph Lutheran Church and a member of the Eastern Star organization. She enjoyed participating in many homemaking activities with the Harmonettes, and she was a good friend of Anne S. and Lois W.. Faye and Louie enjoyed traveling, and over the years they visited Mazatlán, Mexico, the Canary Islands off the coast of Northern Africa, and many places across the United States including Hawaii, Florida, and Palm Springs, CA.

The family would like to thank their extended family, friends, neighbors and community for their love and support. We know that Faye is with Jesus and that Heaven's pearly gates are now sparkling even better than ever.

Faye, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and sister, is survived by her husband, Byron (Louie) Akerson; her children, Kirk (LaVonne) Akerson and Kimberly (David, "Flip") Wilson; her grandchildren Kody (Christi Koehler) Akerson, Hannah Akerson and Alyssa Benson; sister, Bonnie (Darrell) Ekstrom and sister-in-law Carmen Ostby and several nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, sisters, Beulah (Willard) Braaten and Betty (Lloyd) Pearson, and brother, Dean.