Arnold Elmer Danson

2020-11-05T08:38:56-06:00
Marine Corp Badge
  • Name: Arnold Elmer Danson
  • Location of Birth: Grand Rapids, Minnesota
  • Date of Birth: December 26, 1921
  • Date of Death: December 8, 1995 (73 years old)
  • Parents: Elmer and Thelma Danson
  • High School and Class: Grand Rapids High School, Grand Rapids, Minnesota
  • College: Itasca Junior College, Coleraine, Minnesota
  • Highest Rank: 1ST LT (First Lieutenent)
  • Branch: Marine Corp
  • Other Branch:
  • Date Sworn In:
  • Place Sworn In:
  • Date of Discharge: January 1, 1946
  • Place of Discharge:
  • Military Awards:

  • Military Highlights:
    During college, Arnold completed a civilian pilot training program which led to his enlistment with the Marine Corps, where he served as a fighter plane instructor. He was placed on inactive duty with the rank of captain on January 1, 1946.

  • Wars Involved:
    World War II

  • MIA / POW:

  • Civilian Life:
    Arnold attended Wendigo School through the eighth grade, Grand Rapids High School through the 12th grade and Itasca Junior College for two years where he majored in science and mathematics.

    After serving in the military, Arnold returned to Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He began farming and developing his Holstein dairy herd until 1957. At this time, he and his wife, Mary, whom he married in 1942, bought an 80 acre dairy farm in Rush City, Minnesota where they moved with their eight children. Three more children were born after moving to Rush City. He continued to work on building a registered, purebred dairy herd and operate a dairy farm while he worked part-time as a truck driver until 1965. He discontinued trucking at that time and became a full-time dairy farmer until the age of 65.

    Arnold was very active in Grange, Farm Bureau, and the Republican Party. He also served on the Cemetery Board at First Lutheran Church.

    In 1986, he and his wife sold the farm and moved to town.

    He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary; children, Dave, Russ, Cathy Fischer, Ginny Jankovich, Bev Porter, Edie Points, Ardis Sandstrom; Marcia Wegleitner, Jeri Lindgren, Annie Antrobus, and Cele Schoeberl; brothers and sisters, Richard, Wallace, Dorothy Horton, Anita Danson, Bob, and Oren; twenty-seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

    Arnold is buried in First Lutheran Cemetery at Rush City, Minnesota.

  • Tribal Affiliation(s):

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