Lester Tweed

Lester Milford Tweed, 83, of Pequot Lakes, Minn., died Monday, January 7, 2008, at Heritage House in Pequot Lakes.

He was born June 18, 1924, in Hamilton County, Iowa, along with his twin brother, Luther, to his parents, Hans and Bertha (Vangness) Tweed, on the family farm near Jewell, Iowa. He and his family moved to Pequot Lakes in 1937 when he was 12. He and his twin brother were known as the "Tweed twin trumpeters" while in high school. He graduated from Pequot Lakes High School in 1942 and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October 1942, serving during World War II in the Southwest Pacific on USSPC-1137. He returned home to Pequot Lakes on Jan. 20, 1946. He married his wife, LaVonne Holley, on Aug. 31, 1946. They have three children, Gary, Brian and Shari. The family moved to Kansas City, Mo., after he got a job with the Ford Motor Co. in 1951. They returned to Pequot Lakes and purchased the Pequot Oil Co., which they owned and operated for 16 years until 1970. He was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church of Pequot Lakes, the Pequot Lakes American Legion, Jenkins VFW and was a founding member of the Pequot Lakes Historical Society. He will be dearly missed by all those who loved him.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, LaVonne, Pequot Lakes; two sons, Gary (Pat) Tweed, and Brian (Teri) Tweed, both of Pequot Lakes; a daughter, Shari (Gaynard) Brown, Breezy Point; eight grandchildren, Jodie (Nels) Norquist, Pequot Lakes, Michael (Melissa) Tweed, Great Neck, NY, Heidi (Rick) Wrobel, Dakota Dunes, S.D.; Heather Tweed (Todd Ostrowski), Breezy Point, Hans Tweed, Pequot Lakes, Lindsay (Jason) Adams, Rosemount, Shannon (Ryan) VanBrunt, Bloomington, and Molly Brown, Santa Cruz, Calif.; seven great-grandchildren, Erika and Piepre Tweed, Zaynie Zigmund, Izaak Ostrowski, Cole and Ella Adams and Mason VanBrunt; his twin brother, Luther (Faye) Tweed, Pequot Lakes; sisters-in-law, Sal Peterson, Sandy Simonson, Beverly and Joyce Tweed; and brother-in-law, Cork (Sheila) Holley.

He was preceded in death by his brothers, Orrie, Arnold and Harris Tweed; a sister, Anne Butler; and a newborn son, Jerry.

Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, January 12 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Pequot Lakes. Friends may call Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Kline Funeral Home in Pequot Lakes, and one hour prior to the service at the church.

Memorials may be sent to Our Savior's Lutheran Church or the Pequot Lakes Historical Society.