Arthur R. Stevens

Arthur "Sonny" Stevens age 72 of Garvin, MN died on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at the Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Balaton, MN. Services will be 11:00 AM Saturday, August 16, 2008 at the Lake Sarah Lutheran Church in Garvin. Visitation will be 5:00 until 7:00 PM Friday, August 15, 2008 at the Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy, MN, and continuing one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. The Interment at Tracy City Cemetery will follow a luncheon held at This Ol’ Place in Garvin. The Almlie Funeral Home of Tracy is handling the arrangements. Arthur Raymond “Sonny” Stevens was born February 4, 1936 to Raymond and Avis (Anderson) Stevens in Slayton, MN, Murray County. He grew up in the Tracy, MN area, where he attended Tracy Public Schools, graduating from Tracy High School in 1955. While in high school Sonny was a member of the A-squad wrestling team. Soon after completing high school Sonny served four years in the U. S. Navy aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt as a gunner’s mate. He then returned to Minnesota until the early 1970’s when he moved to Oregon. While there he worked for Mier & Frank Department Store in flooring sales and also worked as a flooring installer. Sonny moved back to Tracy in the early 1990’s. On June 10, 1995 Sonny married Joanne Ellingson at the Church of Christ in Tracy and they made their home in Garvin, MN. He worked for Homera Homes in Tracy and most recently for Northstar Homes in Marshall, MN as a flooring installer until 2007. Sonny worked in the flooring business for over 40 years before his health required him to retire. He attended the Bible Baptist Church in Walnut Grove, MN. He enjoyed NASCAR, sports, karaoke, horseshoes, bowling and golf, and was active in several leagues in bowling, golf and horseshoe. On Saturday, August 9, 2008 Sonny died, after a year long fight with cancer, surrounded by his loving family, at the age of 72. Sonny is survived by his wife, Joanne Stevens of Garvin, MN; three daughters, Terry Stevens of Kyle, TX, Tracee Wadenstierna and Tamara (Jim) Mathieson, both of Bend, OR; four sons, Jeffrey (Andrea Bertrand) Ellingson of Marshall, MN, Michael (Shyla) Ellingson of Garvin, MN, David (Kim) Ellingson of Hickory, NC and Lee Ellingson of Garvin, MN; 21 grandchildren; one sister, Sandy Polzine of Tracy, MN; two brothers, Roger Stevens of Minneapolis, MN and Doug Stevens of Barrett, MN; and many nieces, nephews and numerous friends. His parents, one sister, Sylvia Peterson and one brother, Milo Stevens preceded him in death.