Lowell Kenneth Thone, 88, Mission Viejo, California, formerly of Beaver Creek, died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at Pacifica Cottage in Mission Viejo.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 22, at First Baptist Church in Luverne. Burial will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery near Luverne.
Lowell Thone was born on Jan. 22, 1933, to Arnold and Gladys Thone in Hull, Iowa. In 1937 he moved with his parents from rural Iowa to the family farm near Beaver Creek. Lowell enjoyed helping his father with farm work. He attended the one-room Pleasant View Country School from first through eighth grade. At Luverne High school as a freshman, Lowell was class president and played on the football team. But the following summer he contracted polio and was hospitalized for two months. He returned to school for the second half of his sophomore year, and friends carried him up and down the stairs. He regained the ability to walk and graduated in 1951. Lowell earned a degree from the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture in 1953.
Lowell married Claudette Selness on March 5, 1955, in St. Louis Park. After full-time farming until the age of 30, Lowell attended Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis, receiving a degree in design engineering. He held mechanical engineering jobs in Great Falls, Montana, Golden Valley, Mountain Lake, and then worked 20 years as a building/heating inspector for the city of Eden Prairie.
When Lowell retired in 1995, he and Claudette moved back to the family farm. He took great pride in caring for the farmyard and also worked part time as a building inspector for the cities of Luverne and Pipestone. In 2008 Lowell and Claudette relocated to Mission Viejo, California, to be near family and benefit from living in a warmer climate.
Lowell enjoyed his family, the farm, working on home projects, gardening, and refinishing furniture. Lowell was a longtime member of First Baptist Church in Luverne and also Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie. He served as a deacon, trustee, Sunday School superintendent and teacher over the years.
Lowell will be remembered for always giving his best, his great determination, and his strong Christian values and ethics.
Lowell is survived by his three daughters, Lynette (DeVon) Wiens of Trabuco Canyon, California, Marcia (Dale) Hummel of Chanhassen, and Sherri (Ron) Alden of San Juan Capistrano, California; nine grandchildren, Amber (Kevin) Grant, Amanda (Nick) Bockelman, Laura (Jeff) Senters, Benjamin (Sarah) Hummel, Bethany (Pablo) Lozada, Timothy Hummel, Brett (Lauren) Alden, Aubree Alden, and Spencer (Jessica) Alden; and 16 great-grandchildren.
Lowell was preceded in death by his wife, Claudette, eight months ago; his parents; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Arrangements are provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
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