Harlan N. Bruvold

Harlan N. Bruvold, age 58, of Hortonville, WI and formerly of Decorah, IA, died Tuesday evening, January 4, 2011 at Hospice At Cherry Meadows in Appleton, WI. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, January 8, 2011 at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church in rural Decorah, with Rev. Mark Kvale officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:00 – 11:00 A.M. Saturday at the church. Harlan Neil Bruvold was born on July 25, 1952 in Decorah, Iowa, the son of Harris and Lillian (Orvella) Bruvold. He was baptized and confirmed at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church in Decorah. Harlan graduated from Decorah High School in 1970 and from NICC in Ag-Business Farm Management in 1972. He then farmed in the Decorah area. He was united in marriage to the love of his life, Jane Reinertson, on August 16, 1980 at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church. This union was blessed with two children: Ryan and Brianna. They moved to Wisconsin and he began work at Mills Fleet Farm where he worked his way up to the corporate office. He loved his job and especially loved and respected the people he worked with throughout his 25 years there. Harlan came from a close knit family and loved to head back to Decorah to farm with his mother and brother and to extended family gatherings. He was very proud to follow the conservation tradition of his parents and grandparents by planting 14 acres of trees on the family farm. He also kept in close contact with his Iowa friends, traveling back to Iowa to hunt with them and bringing them up to northern Wisconsin to fish whenever possible. He loved fishing with his father-in-law and spent many happy hours on his boat. He was devoted to his children and was very proud of them. Harlan is survived by his wife, Jane (Reinertson) Bruvold; one son, Ryan Bruvold of Mount Horeb, WI; one daughter, Brianna (Andy) Makinster of Scottsdale, AZ; his mother, Lillian Bruvold of Decorah; one brother, Paul (Sue) Bruvold of Decorah, one sister, Lila Smith and special friend Fred Wirtz of Algona, IA; one sister-in-law, Diane (Carl) Thompson of Hudson, MN; four brothers-in-law: Tom Reinertson of Park City, UT, Mark (Debbie) Reinertson of Saxon, WI, Peter (Kari) Reinertson of Valders, WI and Alan (Ellen) Reinertson of Manitowoc, WI; one sister-in-law, Mary (John) Brantley of Orlando, FL; one uncle, Willard (Eloise) Orvella of Decorah; one aunt, Arlys (Wayne) Soeder of Waverly, IA; and also by many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, Harris Bruvold; one brother, Orval Bruvold; his grandparents, Helmer and Cora Orvella and Oscar and Helma Bruvold; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Harold and Betty Reinertson; his uncle, Lester (Christine) Bruvold; and two aunts: Grace (Blaine) Jones and Inez (Orlie) Seegmiller.