Covenant News

Memorial Service Held for Verle Carlson

GOLDEN VALLEY, MN (July 16, 2003) - A memorial service was held Tuesday afternoon at Covenant Village of Golden Valley for Verle Carlson, the widow of Covenant pastor Arnold W. Carlson.

Carlson died last Friday (July 11) at the age of 87, having lived at Covenant Village since 1992. Her husband, Arnold, died in September 1993. Pastors Dan Thompson and Donald Lundquist of First Covenant Church in Minneapolis (where Verle was a longtime member) officiated at the memorial service, along with Covenant Village chaplain John Satterberg.

Born Verle Elizabeth Frykman in October 13, 1916, in Minneapolis, she was the granddaughter of early Covenant hymn writer Nils Frykman. According to their family, both Verle and Arnold grew up at First Covenant Church. Verle married Arnold on June 30, 1942, and the pair shared ministry in a variety of church settings in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

They served churches in Ellsworth and River Falls, Wisconsin, in the 1940s and when Arnold left ministry for a time, they ran a clothing store in Lindstrom, Minnesota, said Satterberg. In the mid 1970s, Arnold returned to the ministry and served in Harris and Rush City, Minnesota, from 1975 until 1991. Arnold then served as visitation pastor at First Covenant Church until his death. Verle worked alongside her husband both in ministry and in business.

She is survived by sons Arnold W. Carlson, Jr. (Jenine) of Rochester; Richard A. Carlson (Mari) of Edina, Minnesota; Bruce E. Carlson of Lindstrom, Minnesota, and daughter Barbara A. Lescenski (James) of Apple Valley, Minnesota; and 11 grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis.

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