Services for Richard “Dick” Aos
Richard “Dick” Aos, age 85, of Pine Lake near Gonvick, MN, passed away on Friday, June 22nd, at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, ND. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 30th, at Hope Lutheran Church in Fosston with the Rev. Michael Sletto officiating. Interment will be in Lund Lutheran Cemetery, Gully, MN. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service on Friday, June 29th, at the Carlin Funeral Home in Fosston. There will also be reviewal for one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. Military honors will be conducted by the Gonvick American Legion Post #304. Arrangements are with the Carlin Funeral Home of Fosston and messages of condolence may be sent at www.carlinfuneral.com.
Richard Harlan Leroy Aos was born to Lewis and Martha “Mary” Thompson Aos on September 29, 1932 at the Fosston Hospital. Born to his 45 year old mom, his siblings each had their say in his full name: Richard after Rhoda, age 21, Harlan after Harvey, age 18, and Leroy after Loretta, age 13. He was raised in Gully, Minnesota, baptized and confirmed at Lund Lutheran Church where he later served as president of the Luther League. He went to grade school in Gully and completed high school in Fosston, graduating in 1950. He opened a Standard Oil gas station in North Gully and ran it until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in November 1952, entering active duty in March of 1953, and received his honorable discharge in January of 1955. While on leave in 1953 he joined the Gully American Legion, where he later served as Commander.
In 1953, Richard married Janis Ione Fjerstad in Gully. They lived at Fort Riley, Kansas where their son, Ritchie, was born. In 1955 they moved back to Gully where he helped his dad at Aos Hardware, worked road construction and also worked for a year for P&L Trucking of Gully. In 1959 the family moved to Red Lake Falls, Minnesota where he worked at Wilcox Furniture and Appliance. He belonged to Bethany Lutheran Church where he served as treasurer for a number of years. Their children entered grade school there as well.
He belonged to the Jaycees, served as a Boy Scout Leader and Assistant Scout Master. In 1964 the family moved to East Grand Forks where he worked for Allstate Insurance Company for 25 years. While there, he was active in American Legion, Sons of Norway, Lion’s Club and a member of the Elks, DAV and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. When Dick was a member of Sons of Norway, Gyda Varden Lodge, he served as President until he was appointed as 4th District Public Relations Director. He was honored to be interviewed by Marilyn Hagerty at the time.
Richard retired in 1988 and moved to Pine Lake near Gonvick, Minnesota where, at the age of 56, he enjoyed doing many different projects. He built a park in Gonvick and worked at a wild rice processing plant. For 10 years, part time, he delivered new buses all over North America. He enjoyed working as a substitute bus driver for 15 years for Clearbrook-Gonvick School for the past 25 years, he has been serving on the Pine Lake Township Board.
Survivors include his son, Ritchie of East Grand Forks, MN; grandchildren, Michael (Grace) Aos of Colorado Springs, CO, Heather Geres of Sioux Falls, SD, Haley Aos of East Grand Forks, Ashley Aos of Williston, ND, and Emily (Dean) Deck of Blackduck, MN; great grandsons, Ian, Collin, Lance, Everett, and Deacon; and one great granddaughter, Avrianna; two sisters-in-law, Vicki (Wayne) Strom of McIntosh, MN and Mavis LaVoi of St. Cloud, MN; brother-in-law, Robert Fjerstad of Carlton, MN and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Janis in 2015; daughter, Pamela Jo in 1988 and son, Gregory Alan in 2012; his parents; siblings, Rhoda Jacobson, Loretta Reichert, and Harvey Aos; brothers and sisters-in-law; and nieces and nephews.
