Milton Halverson

Milt Halverson was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He lived his life as a strong provider for the family he loved. His cheerful demeanor and wisdom will surely be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

The year 1930 was significantly impacted by the effects of the Great Depression. Banks were still closed but there was a promise of a new election year awaiting. On the 9th of December, Oscar and Helen (Carlson) Halverson welcomed home the arrival of their newborn son, Milton Eugene, in Amery, Wisconsin. Born the youngest of four children, his birth brought great joy to his loving parents.

Growing up in a small town on the west side of Wisconsin for much of his life, Milt lived a typical childhood of the times. He found his fair share of mischief and spent his days exploring the neighborhood with his childhood friends. Milt was born with an adventurous spirit especially when it came to Harley Davidson's, but not so much when it came to food. From a young age, he was a picky eater who stayed away from vegetables but on special occasions he enjoyed the rich delicacy of pickled herring. By the time he was an adolescent, Milt was quite mechanical. He loved to tinker with cars and became quite good at guessing the make and model of nearly every car. He loved to reminisce about the many cars he purchased over the years. Milt’s first job was at a bean factory and he often used his money to contribute to his hobbies with cars and motorcycles. He graduated from Amery High School where he played the drums and then entered into the United States Army. He served in Germany following WWII and although he didn’t talk much about these years, he was proud to have served his country.

Milt’s life would change for the better when he moved to Grand Rapids where his older sister was living. He found work with Michigan Bell, which later became Ameritch, then At&T where he remained for his entire career. He enjoyed working as a lineman as well as doing repair work. He was easy-going and a hard worker, and enjoyed being able to provide wonderful service to customers through the years. One highlight of his years there was when he paddled up and down the river to get to a customer’s house after severe flooding. There simply wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for a person in need. As the company grew, he witnessed many changes. In the later years of his time in the field, he noticed that although there were advances in technology, he was not able to spend as much time with customers.

Not to be forgotten was the meeting of Carla Edgerle once he relocated to the Grand Rapids area. The two of them hit it off and settled down together. Together they raised four wonderful children. They lived on Arlington NE and were active members at St. James Lutheran Church where they had made many lasting friendships. Later their marriage ended and Milt moved to Lockwood as well as a few other moves that were always on the northeast side of the city. By 1978, Milt had found Rene', his wife and companion for the next thirty years. The two of them shared many special memories of traveling back to Wisconsin to visit his family as well as welcoming more members into his extended family. Upon retiring, he had coffee almost every day at Fat Boy with a group of his close friends and always stayed busy tinkering around the house building porches and garages or working on the landscaping. Rene' passed in 2007.

His days grew brighter as he kindled a relationship with a long time acquaintance and dear friend, Judi Durkee. They had known one another for many years through church as well as many connections and began enjoying time together. Hitting it off from the very start, they married in 2009. Judi had a special knack for bringing a renewed youthfulness to Milt. They shared many special moments as well as winters in Florida together. He and Judi loved to work in the yard together as well as go to movies. While working outdoors they would stop around 4 PM for happy hour while sitting and enjoying their work from the day. The two of them were very fond of their special interests and time together.

Milt was a strong person who never let his diagnosis with pulmonary fibrosis define his life. He likely developed his illness from his early days helping his father, who was a plumber, wrap pipes many years ago. Though he dealt with it for several years, the last weeks were difficult. Milt was able to return home with hospice care, sit in his chair, watch the birds, enjoy his ice cream, and spend time with his beloved Judi before passing away. May his loved ones never doubt the immense love he held for each and every one of them and may his memories be eternal.

Milton E. Halverson, age 90 of Grand Rapids, passed away July 2, 2021. He was preceded in death by his son, Mark Halverson; and sisters Phyllis Johnson and Florence Gehrman. Milt is survived by his wife, Judi; his children Barb and Tom Najar, Bob and Amy Halverson, Cristy Lipscomb; step-children; Steve Henderson, Jeff and Holly Henderson, Kim Henderson, Leslie and Pete Woodman; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brother, Charles and Marlys Halverson; and many nieces and nephews. His funeral service will be held on Thursday, July 8, 2021 at 11 AM at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 3215 4 Mile Road NE. Friends are invited to visit with Milt’s family on Wednesday from 6-8 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Van Strien Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield Ave NE, and on Thursday at church beginning at 10 AM. Interment in Bailey Cemetery. To share a memory or photo, or to sign his guestbook, visit www.heritagelifestory.com