Russell V. Jongewaard

Russell V. Jongewaard, 98 year old resident of Little Falls, MN, passed away on Saturday, February 25, 2017 at St. Otto’s Care Center in Little Falls. A Funeral Service will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at Little Falls Alliance Church, with Rev. Ryan Olson officiating. Private burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Monticello, MN. Visitation will be from 9:30 am to 11:30 am on Saturday at the church. Arrangements are with Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls. Russell V. Jongewaard was born June 1st, 1918 in Elk River, MN to the late William and Nell (Smith) Jongewaard. He graduated from Monticello High School in 1935. In 1937 he served with the Civilian Conservation Corps on Orcas Island in Washington State. He was united in marriage to Donna Kiebel on Feb. 8th 1941 at Monticello, MN. Russ graduated from the University Of Minnesota College Of Forestry in 1947 and took graduate studies in foreign agriculture at the U of M and St. Cloud State University. He cruised timber for the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, and then spent his career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, working in Olmsted, Benton, Stearns, and Morrison counties. In 1952 he was a surveyor with North Atlantic Constructors in Thule, Greenland. In 1958 he moved his family to Brazil and worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development for the ministry of agriculture in Minas Gerais state. The Jongewaards moved to Little Falls in the fall of 1960 where he helped start the Morrison County Soil and Water Conservation District. He worked as a soils advisor for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Bulgaria in 1973. In 1974 he retired from the USDA and took a position with the Near East Foundation in the ministry of agriculture in Swaziland. In 1977 he consulted with the World Bank on erosion control in Ethiopia. Russ worked in real estate in Little Falls with Century 21 for about 10 years. In 1986 he and Donna volunteered with Trans World Radio in Bussom, Holland, and with TWR again in Guam in 1990. Russ’s wife Donna died on August 18th, 2001. On September 4th, 2004, he married Kathryn (Katie) Tonder. Together they enjoyed traveling, golf, Twins’ games and visiting with family and friends. Russ was a Navy veteran of World War II, having served 44 months with the 4th Seabee Battalion as a surveyor in the Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, Guam, and Okinawa. He was discharged from the Navy in October 1945. He was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, a charter member of Little Falls Kiwanis Club, and a member of Little Falls Alliance Church. He was a member of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation, and the Alumni Society of the College of Natural Resources at the U of M. His hobbies were golf, photography, birding, traveling, and gardening. Russ is survived by his wife Kathryn, sister Dorothy Anderson, daughter Martha, sons Steven (Candace), Peter K., and Joel (Jennifer), grandsons Benjamin (Amanda), Joshua, Albert (Sarah), Tyler, and Peter J. Jongewaard, Zachary (Mary) Twight and Shonn (Thu) Twight, great-grandchildren Eva and Santi Jongewaard and Jaystin Thunder, Maddie and Max Twight, Kairstin and Alix Twight; Kathryn’s children Mike (Jody) Tonder, Dan (Elene) Tonder, and Julie (Bruce) Jarvi, grandchildren Allysa Barnes, Jessica Tonder, Josiah (Emily) Tonder, Leah Jarvi, Rebecca (Brian) Seidel, and Anna (Joshua) Young, and great-grandchildren Adelyn Barnes, Reuben and Arvid Tonder. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Donna, sister Jean Thomas, grandson Reuben Jongewaard, and grandson Aaron Tonder.

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Russell V. Jongewaard

June 1, 1918 - February 25, 2017