Elmer Edwin Ehde was born on January 14, 1940, to Elmer and Goldie (Sanderson) Ehde in Luverne, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.
Elmer grew up in Steen, Minnesota, where he enjoyed riding his bike and go-cart and playing baseball with friends. In his youth he enjoyed everything a young boy would enjoy – he even put up a zipline between two trees, but his mom made him take it down as it probably wasn’t safe. While in high school, Elmer raised his own mink on his relatives’ mink farm.
After his graduation in 1957 from Hills High School in Hills, Minnesota, Elmer started raising mink full time. In 1962 he enlisted into the National Guard and later transferred to the Air National Guard. This same year he moved his mink to a ranch he built east of Steen.
On December 15, 1962, Elmer was united in marriage to Karen Hewitt at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa. Later his brother Arthur joined him as a partner in the mink business. Elmer received his honorable discharge from the Guard in 1970. In 1973 the brothers expanded the mink ranch on land they bought north of Luverne. He retired from raising mink in 2008.
He enjoyed the many people who helped on the farm over the years, especially the high school and college kids. He felt that much of the success the ranch had was due to the loyal and hardworking people who worked on the ranch over the years.
On Saturday, November 25, 2023, Elmer died at the Wealshire of Bloomington in Bloomington, Minnesota, at the age of 83 years, 10 months, and 11 days.
Elmer was a member of Oak Hill Church in Bloomington. He was previously a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. Locally Elmer served on the Rock County Zoning Board. On a state and national level he served as director and president of the Minnesota Fur Breeders Association and the American Legend Association.
Raising mink gave him the opportunity to meet people from across the country and all over the world. He traveled to Europe and Japan for American Legend, which fostered a desire for more travel. Elmer enjoyed every place he went, including the Black Hills, Yellowstone, and Seattle. He especially loved Maui, a love he passed on to his family. He called it his “happy place.”
Elmer always looked for the best in people and was a positive person. He was the ultimate grandfather. He would drop everything to help a child or grandchild. He devised games and activities for them and had endless patience with them. He had a bottomless curiosity, which he passed on to his grandchildren.
Elmer was a warm, kind, and dependable father and grandfather. He will be remembered for his love of ice cream, Hawaiian music, non-fiction books, and baseball caps. He took up running at age 40 and instilled in his family the importance of staying active, whether walking, cycling, or running. He will be dearly missed.
Elmer is survived by his wife, Karen Ehde, of Edina, Minnesota; children Dawn (John Cerqui) Ehde of Seattle, Washington, and Timothy (Jennifer) Ehde of Minneapolis, Minnesota; three grandchildren, Sam Ehde, Kate Ehde, and Andrew Cerqui; and siblings Margaret (Ivan) Sturzenbecher of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Arthur (Carol) Ehde of Luverne.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister Clarine Hawkins; brother-in-law Gerald Sturzenbecher; nephew Scott Ehde; niece Pam Lais; great-nephews Carson Ehde and Teddy Boddicker; and great-niece Arrianna Boddicker.
Memorial visitation will be Wednesday, November 29, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Memorial service will be Thursday, November 30, at 11:00 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. Burial will follow at Trinity Cemetery near Steen, Minnesota.
To view Elmer’s life tribute video or sign an online registry, please visit www.hartquistfuneral.comMemorials may be directed to Carson’s Cause or Generations (formerly Luverne Senior Center).