Paul Arnold Agrimson

PETERSONPAUL'S LIFE STORY:Paul Agrimson was a gentleman and a family man. He loved his wife, children and grandchildren dearly because he loved God completely. He was kindly and personable to friends and strangers alike. He showed genuine interest in getting to know people and had a patient demeanor that made them feel welcomed. He worked hard and made life fun with jokes and storytelling. His strength and agility kept him active and his art and creativity allowed him to express his joy in living. Paul's legacy to his loved ones is simply and profoundly stated in his own words: "The only thing that matters is that we are ready to face our Savior. We have limited time on this earth--make it count." Paul was born June 19, 1919 as America was emerging from the First World War and beginning to enjoy industrial prosperity. A nation and its people were hopeful, yet the economic depression of the coming decade meant hardship for many citizens. Throughout his lifetime, Paul weathered numerous challenges by maintaining a resilient spirit and drawing on the strength of his faith. As the first boy in the Agrimson household, Paul's parents and three sisters happily welcomed him into their lives. However, that joy turned to deep concern when baby Paul experienced health difficulties and was not expected to live. Happily, he fully recovered, but the family was plunged into sadness just a few years later when they moved to Sebeka, Minnesota. Paul's mother died of pneumonia when he was four years old. Her funeral was the last time they all lived together as a nuclear family. The six children were taken in by grandparents and aunts and uncles, and Paul moved around from family to family. As a result, he attended a variety of schools, including Peterson, Boyum, Grover, Paddock and Sebeka. Part of the family was reunited after their father remarried in 1931, but the harsh years of the Great Depression were upon them. The family lost the farm in a calamity of events that took their toll: drought and grasshoppers set in on the land and the house burned down. Gratefully, no one was harmed in the fire, but that summer the family lived in the granary. In 1936, they moved back to southeast Minnesota with all their possessions loaded in two railroad cars. They resettled south of Utica and later moving to a farm on Highway 30 where Paul farmed with his father until he got married. Paul met his future wife at a Bible Camp, but it would be years before his first inkling came true. When he initially laid eyes on Ethel, Paul had a feeling that she was going to be very special to him. They met again when he started ninth grade, but when his family moved, Paul left that school. Then a few years later, while attending Lutheran Bible Institute, they found themselves in the same class! After returning to the farm, he kept in touch with Ethel by writing letters and hitchhiking to the Twin Cities. Their love and commitment grew over years and distance, and the two married in 1942 in anticipation of Paul being drafted for WWII. Fortunately, he received an agricultural deferment to help his Uncle Adolf on the farm. Paul was committed to farming and the animals (fondly calling "comeboss" to the cows), and after working with his uncle for two years, he decided to branch out on his own. He and Ethel rented a farm on Vinegar Hill with the first month's rent arriving mysteriously in the mail. The first of Paul and Ethel's children, son Russel, was born on that farm. Her sister, Jean, came to help with the baby and ended up staying six months to help with farm chores. Two years later, the family of three moved south of Utica, and Ethel's parents moved in with them. During those four years, a second son Gary was born, and in 1950, they purchased the Ole Paulson dairy farm south of Fremont. Finally, they had a place of their own, but just two days before moving into the house, the roof started on fire. A disaster was averted when neighbors helped extinguish the flames and later repaired the roof with the assistance of Uncle Adolf. Amid the challenges, Paul felt like a wealthy man. Years later he would write in his autobiography, "The years that followed were full of improvements. My greatest enjoyment was going to the woods, sawing down trees, moving them home, having them sawed in to lumber, and then building numerous out buildings." The Agrimson family was complete with the birth of daughter Theone in 1952. Having grown up without a stable homelife, Paul's number one priority was creating a secure and wholesome environment for his family. Together they attended church every Sunday, and on those afternoons, Paul often planned (after nap) activities that included hikes, cave exploration and drives in the country to unique destinations. They spent holidays with extended family, took trips to see relatives in Iowa and Washington, and when they weren't around each other, Paul was always asking about his family members and their friends. Because he and Ethel had become engaged on the 4th of July, the family annually took the day off to commemorate the special day. Paul was active and generous with his time. He gave haircuts to various neighbors and relatives and served on the Arendahl Cemetery Board. He was a Sunday School teacher for many years, using his artistic talent to give "chalk talks" to children, that is, he drew illustrations on the chalk board while telling a story. Paul himself was a student of the Bible and he readily engaged in theological discussions that peaked his curiosity and grounded his worldview. After retiring from dairy, Paul had more time to pursue a variety of interests while remaining physically active. He could climb to the top of hay loft with a single rope and in his 70s he shingled their farm house roof. With Ethel, he traveled to Norway and Israel, cruised the Mediterranean, visited Canada and camped in several states. Being proud of his heritage, Paul learned to craft a traditional Norwegian chair out of large timbers, called a Kubbestol. Other pastimes included general woodworking, gardening, restoring Allis Chalmers tractors, observing nature on the farm, hiking in the woods, taking pictures, writing letters, hunting deer, camping, biking, canoeing, riding ATVs, reading and, best of all, spending time with his family. Toward each of them, Paul felt the words he often spoke: "You're so precious." They will miss his voice and the sayings that were distinctly his: "Uffda; Ooda" and "Be careful."
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