Howard Warner

Howard Wendell Warner of Revere, MN died Wednesday, August 31, 2011, at Valley View Manor in Lamberton, MN. Howard was born June 30, 1920 in St. Paul, MN the son of Helen Strandberg and Edner Erickson. After his mother's marriage to Ed Warner when Howard was almost 2 years old, he grew up on a farm in Highwater Township, Cottonwood County and attended School District #37, Highwater Township, country school. He worked for various farmers until his induction into the army at Fort Creek, Nebraska where he was immediately sent to Camp Roberts, California. He was at Camp Roberts when World War II started. Howard spent one year in various Hawaiian Islands then served in the South Pacific for three years: New Guinea area, New Britain, Guadalcanal several Philippines Islands. He was discharged Sept. 20, 1945 at Long Beach, California. He married Ferne Backstrom of rural Westbrook, MN at the Wedding Chapel in Long Beach, California on September 30, 1945. They lived in California until 1949. They moved to Minnesota in 1949 and had purchased a farm in Ann Township which Howard farmed his whole life. He was a member of the Old Westbrook Lutheran Church, served on the church board, was Clerk of Ann Township Board, and Secretary Treasurer of the Revere Elevator Board. Howard was preceded in death by his mother Helen Warner; stepfather Ed Warner; father Edner Erickson; son-in-law Rod McCormick; half-sisters- Lorraine (Erickson) Gray, and Ramona (Erickson) Chalberg; half-brothers- Waldo and Rayburn Erickson; and step-sisters- Martha (Warner) Osland, Mildred (Warner) Johnson, Grace (Warner) Osland, and Ruth (Warner) Hoftstad. He is survived by his wife Ferne; children- Janine McCormick of Apple Valley, MN, Jay (Diane) Warner of Revere, MN, Gary (Jayme) Warner of Revere, MN; grandchildren- Todd Hoffrogge, Kari Schieffert, Matt Warner, Ryan Warner, and Libbey Warner; nine great-grandchildren; half-sisters- Marian (Erickson) Flatebo of Willmar, and Norma Jean (Erickson) Nelson of Spicer; half-brother Earl Warner of Walnut Grove; and half-sisters- Marian (Warner) Kopperud of Revere, Margaret (Warner) Madson of Georgia, and Jane (Warner) Klein of Waxachie, TX.