Floyd D. Paler

Floyd D. Paler, 74, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Wednesday October 8, 2014 at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, North Dakota, surrounded by his family and friends.

Floyd was born to Velma and Ormand Paler on April 5, 1940 in Tanberg Township in Minnesota. He grew up on the family farm outside of Rothsay with his brothers, Donald, Bernard, Roger and his sister Ruth. The skills and work ethic he gained there served him well throughout his life. In 1963 while working on constructing the interstate highway system in the Hibbing area, Floyd was drafted into the Army.

He received commendations in sharpshooting and a mechanics badge for his training in tank and tracked vehicle recovery.

In 1963, while on leave from the army, he and Patricia Ehlert were married at St. Thomas Church in Kent.

While stationed at Fort Hood in Texas, they had their first son, Todd. After earning his Honorable discharge they returned to Minnesota where they had two more sons, Ronald Dean, and Bryon and a daughter, Tama. They raised their children on the family farm near Kent, where Floyd worked for the Breckenridge Hospital as a boiler engineer. They moved to Fergus Falls in 1980, where he worked as a chief boiler engineer at Lake Region Hospital until his retirement. On August 23, 1990 he married Linda Rasmussen.

Floyd was a lifelong organic gardener and hobby farmer raising dogs, horses, goats and many other animals. He was an avid woodworker. He would harvest hardwood logs from his land, and did his own sawing and planing to build much of the cabinetry and furniture for his family and others.

After retirement, Floyd found a new passion for making wooden toys as a small business. He spent many enjoyable hours in his basement woodshop making toys that brought much joy to many. Floyd was the consummate handyman he could fix or build just about anything out of next to nothing. He improved or upgraded every place he owned. After retirement Floyd enjoyed traveling to Oregon and Montana to see his children.

Floyd was preceded in death by his father, Ormand; mother, Velma; brother, Donald; his second wife Linda; brother-in-law, Reuben Dow; sister-in-law, Dorothy Paler.

He is survived by son, Todd (Cindy), of Oregon; Ronald (Sandi), of Idaho; daughter, Tama (Marc) Lutsko, of Montana; son Bryon (Jessica) of Oregon; and step-daughter, Julie Rasmussen of Minnesota; four grandchildren, Kelsea, Devon, Shannon, Jasmine; five great-grandchildren, Ayden, Damian, Lane, Cheyenne, and Piper; sister Ruth Dow, of Rothsay; brother, Bernie (Sharon), of Rothsay; brother, Roger (Bernadette) of Fergus Falls; special friend, Betty Fordyce, of Fargo; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation: One hour prior to the service at the funeral home
Service: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 18, 2014 at the Olson Funeral Home, Fergus Falls.
Clergy: Reverend Brent Juliot
Burial: Stavanger Lutheran Cemetery, rural Fergus Falls
Military Participation: Fergus Falls V. F. W. Post 612 and American Legion #30