Arthur Rimmereid

Arthur Rimmereid Age 87 of Maplewood Died on June 24, 2019. Preceded in death by wife Charlotte. Survived by children Paul (Jo), Bruce (Christa) and Ann (Peter) Jacobson; 10 grandchildren; 6 great grandchildren; brother-in-law Jerry Kleven; sisters-in-law Janice Kleven & Vivian Rimmereid. Faithful Lutheran Pastor. Service Monday, July 1st at 11:00 am at REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH, 3770 Bellaire Avenue, White Bear Lake. Visitation Sunday, June 30th from 4-7:00 pm at MUELLER MEMORIAL, 4738 Bald Eagle Avenue and one hour before the service at church on Monday. Memorials preferred to Bread for the World, Lutheran World Relief or Oak Grove Lutheran School, Fargo, ND. Arthur Vernon Rimmereid was born August 1, 1931 to John and Bertha (Lundeby) Rimmereid on a farm near Tolna in eastern North Dakota. His lone sister, Gudrid, cried when she found out that she had another brother joining the three she already had, Knute, Oliver, and Daniel. Later in his childhood his family moved a little westward to a farm near New Rockford. He was proud to have grown up on a farm and enjoyed sharing about the trouble he gave his older brothers and the pet fox he had for several months until it got into the chicken coop. He spoke with warm appreciation of the Christian nurture he experienced at home and at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, especially noting the strong lay leadership of his father and others in the Lutheran Free Church tradition. Arthur left home to attend Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo where his faith was further deepened by the strong witness of fellow classmates. In 1949 Arthur began attending Augsburg College in Minneapolis where he met Charlotte Kleven while they were members of the Augsburg Choir. Charlotte graduated in 1952 and moved to North Branch, Minnesota to be a music teacher. Arthur graduated in 1953 and then started classes at Augsburg seminary. The two were married on August 24, 1955 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Superior, Wisconsin where her father Torgney was pastor. Being a pastor’s daughter, Charlotte had some reservations about being a pastor’s wife, but during their courtship one of her close girlfriends reassured her, “I don’t think you have to worry about this one.” Art graduated from seminary in June of 1956 and then he and Char moved to Bisbee, North Dakota for his first call, serving Bisbee Lutheran and Lakeview Lutheran in Egeland. During this time they welcomed Paul (1958) and Bruce (1960). In 1962 the family moved to Coon Rapids, Minnesota where Art had accepted a call to organize a new church start. Advent Lutheran Church was organized in 1963. Daughter Ann was born in 1964. In 1967 the family moved to Brainerd, Minnesota where Art served as pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. In 1983, Art accepted a call to serve on the staff of the Northern Minnesota District under district president Gib Lee which brought Char and him to Moorhead, Minnesota. Their first grandchild was born in 1984 which meant a new season for Art and Char as very involved and intentional grandparents to ten grandchildren: Peter, Heather, Kendra, Katelyn, Sara, Daniel, Emily, Jenna, Nathan, and Lydia. After the beginning of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Art was called to serve on the staff of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod under Bishop Harold Lohr. In 1991, Art was elected Bishop of the Northwestern Minnesota Synod. After completing his term as bishop, he did interim pastoral ministry for several years. In 2000, Art and Char moved to Maplewood, Minnesota. They were also able to spend more time at the lake cabin in northern Wisconsin that has been a cherished family gathering place for more than fifty years. Char died in 2016. Art will be remembered for his warm and authentic preaching and teaching, his wise counsel, words of affirmation, and strong leadership, but especially by his family for his deep commitment to Jesus, to his wife Char, and to his children and grandchildren.