Lorin Ehlert

Lorin “Bud” Ehlert, 85, Wahpeton, ND, died Monday, October 13, 2008 at his residence in Wahpeton, under the care of Riveredge Hospice. The Funeral Mass will be October 18, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church, Wahpeton, with Rev. Dale Lagodinski as celebrant. Visitation will Friday, from 6 PM to 8 PM with a 7 PM prayer service at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton, and one hour before the service at the church on Saturday. Interment will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery , Mandan , ND , with Military Honors .

Lorin Joseph Ehlert better known as “Bud” was born April 30, 1923 to Ben J. and Anna (Gareis) Ehlert in Andrea Township . He grew up and attended the Richter School . In 1942 he graduated from the Breckenridge High school , he then enlisted in the Navy and took his Boot Training in Farragut , Idaho . He was sent to Electrical School in ames , Iowa and then on to Virginia and Orange , Texas were he boarded the U.S.S. Fiske (DE 143) which was being built and commissioned. August 2, 1944 the Navy Task Group “Killer Whale” was in battle with German U-Boats and 33 of Bud’s Shipmates were killed and more then 50 were wounded when his ship was blown up and sunk north of the Azore Island . Bud was wounded and laid out in the cold frigid North Atlantic water for several hours before he was rescued and took two and a half days to get to a hospital in Newfoundland . He was then transferred to a Navy Hospital in Long Island , NY , where he was operated on. Then in November, Chief of Naval Personnel pinned the Military Merit Medallion on is pajamas, for wounds he received in action against an enemy. After sending a year in the hospital his Navy carrier came to an end.

After attending State School of Science he accepted a position in Wisconsin in a publishing house, The Society of the Divine Savior, the Salvatorian Mother House was in Rome . Bud then joined St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville , MN . , and was the first Benedictine to take his novitiate out side the boundaries of the United States , he competed his novitiate in the British West Indies .

Returning to Foxhome, he was appointed Rural Letter Carrier and in 1973, it was consolidated with the Breckenridge Post Office. After two and a half decades of service, he retired in 1983. Bud moved to Fergus Falls in 1980 and while living in Fergus Falls he and his cousin Collen Ehlert owned and operated a craft store. In 1985 he became afflicted with Ocular Pemphigoid Disease, he was put in the Ramsey Medical Hospital for eight days to save his eye sight, his medical history was written up for study and research at the University of Minnesota. Then in 1989 he came down with Crohn’s Disease and some how he managed to try and keep up some of his volunteer work, the work he loved in helping the unfortunate. He would always say, “ I see double, but feel single.” “What I don’t see, I can’t remember.”

In 1990 he moved to Fargo, for a short time and then came to Wahpeton where he volunteered at St. Catherine’s Living Center as much as he was able, they all seemed to enjoy his company and waited for his return. His hobbies included making crafts, working with flowers and having refreshments with his many friends.

Although his eye sight was dimming he spent many troublesome hours in search of his family ancestors and put together many interesting articles He was a member of the V.F.W. Post in Fergus Falls in which his mother was a charter member, also a perpetual member of the DESA, Orlando, Florida, the Knights of Columbus and the American Legion in Wahpeton. Bud also received special merit in the US Army Air Force as Chief Observer, putting in more than 2,000 hours as a volunteer. He started the Cub Scouts in Foxhome and was a Cub Master. He was appointed Civil Defense Director and also a volunteer Fireman. He was voted in as one of the officers at the ASC Office in Breckenridge for 14 years. He received special Merit from Rudy Perpich Governor of Minnesota for the many hours he spent in the RSVP Program.

Bud is survived by his sister, Beata Johnson, Olympia , Washington ; two sister-in-law, Monica Ehlert, Wahpeton; and Darlene Ehlert, Foxhome , MN ; many nephews and nieces and all of his good friends at the Post Office.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Ana Ehlert, two brothers, Norbert and Robert, a sister Loretta Andres, Uncle Ralph, a brother-in-law, Ralph Johnson, two nephews Dick Andres and Bobby Ehlert, two nieces Judith Andres and Carrie Jo Ehlert, three grand nephews, Scott Quamme, Nathon Ehlert, and Shaun Gieterrez and a grand niece Lori Ehlert.