Robert Oldenburg

ROBERT OLDENBURG, age 84, of Blue Earth, died Tuesday, June 21, 2011, at St. Luke''s Lutheran Care Center, Blue Earth. Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 24, 2011, at 1:30 PM, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Blue Earth, with Rev. Wesley Hafner, officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Blue Earth. Visitation time will be from 6:00 to 8:00 PM Thursday at Patton Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Blue Earth, and 1 hour prior to services at the church. Web tributes may be left at www.pattonfh.comRobert was born August 24, 1926, in Kenosha, WI. He grew up in Mehnoman, MN as a young boy before being orphaned and living a few years at the Minnehaha orphanage. He was adopted by his parents, William and Ora (Klatt) Oldenburg and moved to rural Elmore where he attended school. He worked on the family farm before entering the U.S. Navy in 1945. He was discharged and returned home in 1946 and soon met and married Ardella C. Pingle on January 10, 1948 in Lakota, Iowa. The couple had three sons. Robert worked with some area farmers and worked at the light and power plant where he was badly burned in the mid 1960''s. Soon after her started Oldenburg Sales & Service, an outdoor power equipment sales and repair store. He worked with his son , Randy, at the store for many years before retiring in 1987. Ardella died in 1997 and he was later married to Irdene Chritianson on January 2, 1999 in Blue Earth. Robert liked to travel in his later years, but mostly liked activities centered around his family, especially fishing and sporting events with his sons. He is survived by his wife, Irdene Oldenburg of Mankato, his son, Ronald (Jan) Oldenburg of Coon Rapids, his son, Randy (Linda) Oldenburg of Lakeville, Mike (Jean) Oldenburg of Madelia, his sister, Beatrice of Hastings, 8 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren .He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife-Ardella.