Arden Duane Harstad, 73, 1513 18th Ave S.W. Minot, died Sunday, December 10, 2006 in a Minot Hospital.

Arden was born June 17, 1933, in Minot, the son of Arnold and Beatrice (Helgeson) Harstad. He attended school in Glenburn and Minot, graduating from Minot High School in 1951. He married the love of his life, Darlene Boutilier, on July 1, 1956, and they shared fifty wonderful years together.

Arden was drafted into the US Army in 1956, and served his country in Germany for eighteen months being honorably discharged in 1958. He graduated from Masonry school in 1952, starting his lifelong career as a bricklayer. He worked for Orheim Construction Company for a short time and then spent most of his career with Fugelseth Masonry, eventually becoming a partner within the company. Arden was an active member of the local Bricklayers Union #2, retiring as a goldcard member in 1994. His legacy will carry on in the many homes, buildings and structures he built within the Minot area.

Arden was a lifetime member of the Minot Elks #1089 and Minot Eagles Aerie. He was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church. He was involved with baseball and softball his entire life. He began playing for the American Legion and played fastpitch softball for twenty-five years within the Minot Recreation Leagues. He continued his love of the game while wintering in Mesa, Arizona by playing in the Apache Wells senior softball league for ten years.

His loving family includes: wife of fifty years, Darlene; daughter: Lila Harstad and grandchildren Arron and Allison Brossart, Rugby, ND, son: Ross Harstad and grandchild, Mason Harstad of Minot, and daughter: Deon (Joe) Mehring and grandchildren Travis and Taner Nelson of Minot; sisters: Beverly (Tom) Berg, Harvey, ND, and Bonnie (Bob) Rice, Merced, CA, brother: Arnie (Nancy) Harstad, Grand Forks, ND; uncle: Alfred and (Violet) Harstad, Minot, aunts: Benda (Harstad) Sveen, Minot, Hans and Lillian (Harstad) Sorenson, Fargo, ND.

Arden was preceded in death by his parents and several aunts and uncles.

Funeral service : Saturday, December 16, 2006, at 1:30 p.m. in Bethany Lutheran Church, Minot
Intermen t: Rosehill Memorial Park, Minot
Visitation: Friday from 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot.
In lieu of flowers or plants, the family prefers memorials to Magic City Youth Baseball.