Obituary of Orville Carlson

Orville Lee Carlson, son of Carl John and Rebecca Johnson Carlson, was born on March 12, 1915 in Adelthi, Iowa. He attended Hauge Country Grade School and graduated from Lake Center School. He served in the United States Navy on the APA 200 Marathon Ship during World War II. Orville was united in marriage to Lucille Ellen Duncan in the grandstands at the Great Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa on Sept. 18, 1937. The family lived in Spirit Lake, Spencer and Windom, Minnesota before moving to Orleans in 1958. He wintered in Cortez, Florida. He worked for Swift & Co., supervisor for J.R. Watkins, Farm Bureau, managed CD farm service, owned and operated Reeds Run Resort, a salesman for Abundavita and Life Insurance & Mutual. Orville also served as Mayor of Orleans. He began his work in real estate at Van Dyke Carlson Real Estate and continued as a broker/owner at Orville Carlson Real Estate in Spirit Lake. He was a member of the Church of Christ, Christian Church and Methodist Church in Spencer, Iowa. At his passing, he was an active member of the United Methodist Church of Spirit Lake. Orville volunteered as a fireman and was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Shriner, Order of Eastern Star, Iowa Realtor's Assn., American Legion, Rotary and Kiwanis. He also volunteered for the Dickinson County Sheriff's trail patrol. Orville passed away on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at Hilltop Care Center in Spirit Lake, Iowa at ninety-two years of age. He is survived by his daughter, Kay and her husband Chuck Thoreson of Okoboji and Bradenton, Florida; sons, Gary Carlson and his wife Martha of Spirit Lake, John Carlson and his wife Jo of Bellevue, Nebraska; ten grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; two sisters and one brother. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lucille; daughter, Judith Jensen; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; his parents and twin siblings in infancy.