Arnold Thorin

Hills, Minnesota Arnold Thorin, age 86 of Hills, MN died Sunday, December 30, 2012 at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, MN. Funeral service will be 1:30 PM, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills, MN with Rev. Mahlon Bekedam officiating. Burial will follow at Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery in Hills. Visitation will be Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 from 2:00 to 7:00 PM, with the family present from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills. Arnold Thorin was born December 8, 1926 in Lyon County IA to Lennart and Mabel (Severson) Thorin. He and his family moved to Sherman, SD for a period of time before returning to a farm in the Hills area. He received his education at country school and graduated from High School at Hills, MN. Arnold enjoyed hunting and fishing very much and continued that hobby all through his life. He entered the military in 1950 and was sent to Korea as an Infantryman. Arnold saw much of the harsh conditions and the ugliness that comes with war. He served his country valiantly earning the Combat Infantry Badge, the Korean Service Medal with 2 Bronze Camp Stars, the UN Service Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal-Japan. He was discharged in 1952. He was a lifetime member of the Hills American Legion Post No. 399. After he returned from the war he went to work as a sheet metal worker for the A.R. Woods Company in Luverne. It was there that his love of woodworking was spawned. His job, with its requirement for close attention to detail and workmanship fit him well. Later in life he used those same attributes to patiently create beautiful pieces from wood. He especially liked building clocks and carving wildlife such as pheasants. He sold a few pieces over the years when someone would actually be able to talk him into it. Otherwise, he was mostly content to adorn his own home with them or give them away to special people. In September of 1958 he was united in marriage to June Martinson at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills. The couple purchased a house in Hills and remained there the rest of their married lives. June shared his love of the outdoors and they very often would take camping trips together and spend most of their time fishing and just enjoying each other. The A.R. Woods Company eventually closed its doors and Arnold took a job with much the same duties in Sioux Falls, until he decided to retire in 1986 when June became ill. Arnold lost his wife that year but he remained in Hills, living in their home until 2002 when he moved to the Tuff Village with his sister Dorothy. Very recently when health dictated, Arnold moved to the Tuff Memorial Home where he passed away this past Sunday morning. He is survived by his sisters, Dorothy Thorin of Hills, MN and Maxine (Charles) Hanson of Austin, MN; brother, Jerry (Diann) Thorin of Sioux Falls, SD; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family members. Arnold was preceded in death by his parents; wife, June; and many uncles and aunts.