Alfred "Art" Warner

Alfred Arthur Art Warner was born on March 21, 1931 in Minneapolis, Minnesota the son of Alfred A. Helga (Nielsen) Warner, Sr. He graduated from Vocational High School in Minneapolis, 1949, and received a Bachelors Degree from North Dakota Agricultural College (NDSU), 1959. Art was in the United States Army from 1952 to 1954 and served in Giessen, Germany. On August 26, 1950, Art was united in marriage to Jeanette Erdyne Pigman at Bethany Lutheran Church, Cushing, MN. Arts first job after college was with Boeing in Seattle, WA. The family moved to Little Falls in 1960 and Art went to work for Morrison County Social Services, where he remained for 30 years. Community service always complemented his working life and continued for 24 years after his retirement. One of Arts greatest joys was to attend any event in which his children or grandchildren were participating. Various hobbies over the course of his life included woodworking, collecting cameras, coins and Red Wing crocks, stained glass, genealogy, caring for house plants, feeding songbirds, attending concerts, listening to jazz, creating spreadsheets, and eating out at restaurants. He was especially fond of chocolate and coffee. Art was involved in a vast array of community activities, both locally and around Minnesota, often with his wife, Jan. Together they were presented with the Book of Golden Deeds Award for their contributions to the community. He was most known for his 50-year involvement in the Morrison County Historical Society, serving all but three of those years as president of the organization. Other community activities included serving on the Little Falls Planning Commission, taking part in numerous environmental and conservation causes (Preserve Our Land, Mississippi River Revival), contributing time to a variety of community planning and development meetings and committees, helping to organize the Great River Arts Association, Little Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau and West Side Improvement Association, a former member of the Jaycees, and was a past-member and president of Kiwanis. Art was a former member of First Lutheran Church, serving on the church council, and is currently a member of First United Church. Art was a man of integrity who was respected by all who met him. He seemed to live by the motto, speak no evil word of anyone. He was a passionately devoted husband, wise and loving parent, and unfailing support to his entire family. We will miss his kindness, his subtle humor and his gentle presence.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Jeanette Jan (Pigman) Warner of Little Falls, MN; son, Erik (Mary) Warner of Little Falls, MN; daughters, Stacy Warner (Jerry Salitros) of Golden Valley, MN, Rev. Jill Warner of Aberdeen, SD, and Glenys (Todd) Warner-Holman of Baxter, MN; grandchildren, Rianna (Christopher) Matter, Ariel (Devin) Larson, Sam Kelash, Nicholas (Katrina) Holman, Patrick Holman, Ian Warner (Desiree Miller), Olivia Warner (Eric Seonbuchner), and Sebastian Warner.

Art was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred A. Helga (Nielsen) Warner, Sr., grandson, Daniel Kelash; and father and mother in-law, Earl Lillian Pigman.

The family requests written memories of Art.