Norris Arlen Storlie

Norris Arlen Storlie, 85, of rural Harmony, Minn., passed away on Saturday, February 3 at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital, La Crosse, Wis.  Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, at 11 a.m. at the Greenfield Lutheran Church in Harmony.  Friends may call at the Greenfield Lutheran Church from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday and also one hour prior to services on Wednesday.  Burial will be in Greenfield Cemetery in Harmony.  Lindstrom Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Norris was born in Spring Grove on July 13, 1932, to Alice (Halvorson) and Nelius Storlie.  After attending country school he graduated from Spring Grove High School.

Norris was united in marriage to Betty Darlene Stoskopf on October 19, 1957.  They celebrated 60 years of living together on the farm.

Norris was a life-long farmer.  He purchased his first farm from his uncle in 1956.  In 1967, he joined his father-in-law in a farming partnership near Henrytown in Fillmore County.  Here he milked cows, fed cattle and pigs and crop farmed.  He was progressive to adopt contour and no-till crop production practices.

He was an industrious man who worked to use the resources on the farm.  In his early years, he harvested trees on the land to build farm buildings and in his later years, he tore down buildings piece by piece to reclaim the wood.

Norris was a member of Harmony Greenfield Lutheran Church and the Sons of Norway.  He was very proud of his Norwegian heritage.  He portrayed the character Ola from the cartoon “Ola and Per” and participated in a research project to study the “old” Norwegian dialects.

He participated in experimental research for multiple myeloma so others could gain knowledge to help future generations.  He enjoyed polka dancing and baking cookies and lefse.  We will miss all the stories he would tell over a cup of coffee.

They were blessed with three children:  Bonnie (Vance) Haugen, Canton, Minn.; Mark (Juliet) Storlie, Postville, Iowa; Cherise (Øyvind) Kristoffersen, Stjørdal, Norway; six grandchildren: Inga, Olaf (Corinne) and Thor (Sarah) Haugen, and Saundra, Niclas, and Sarah Kristoffersen; five great-grandchildren: Norris, Sully, Leyland, Aurora and Minnie; two brothers, David (Marge) Storlie and Richard (Betty) Storlie, both from Spring Grove; and one brother-in-law, Robert (Dorothy) Stoskopf of Mabel.

Norris was preceded in death by one brother, Leland and his parents.

Norris dedicated his life to his family, friends and farming.  May the seeds he has planted be a constant harvest of his love.