Paul M. Sonnenberg , 85, Minot, soared up to heaven on eagle's wings on Sunday, May 9, 2010.

Paul was born December 22, 1924 at his parents' home in Lincoln Valley, ND to Ludwig Reinhold (L.R.) and Bernice Eva (Sanders) Sonnenberg. He was the third of four children. At one time, his father farmed where the present day, Minot Air Force Base is located. Because it was the dirty 1930's, financial hardships were happening to all farmers and with much difficulty to new farmers. The family moved to Burlington, where L.R. tried his hand at farming again. They moved to Donnybrook, where he L.R. owned a blacksmith shop. This is where Paul received his work ethic at his dad's blacksmith shop.

Paul entered into active duty service with the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, and honorably served his country until receiving a medical discharge in 1944. He returned to North Dakota and attended Minot State Teacher's College and later North Dakota State University. He was united in marriage to Jeanette Anderson on February 16, 1946 at Moorhead, MN. They lived at Denver, Co for a short time, where he attended and graduated from watchmaker's school and was awarded the Orville R. Hagen Award for excellent workmanship on escapement models.

They returned to North Dakota, where he owned a jewelry store in Bowbells. He worked there every weekend repairing and cleaning watches, while spending the weekdays in Minot working for DuPaul's Jewelry. In 1954, he sold out his jewelry business and moved the family to Minot. He later worked at Straus Brothers Jewelry. He started working with Diebold Safe and Lock, traveling around the state selling and repairing security equipment for banks. He found that he enjoyed this so much that he started his own business of Dakota Safe of North Dakota, which he later sold and retired.

Paul earned his pilot's license in 1970 and flew many times for his business. He built an airplane called a Volksplane, which had a Volkswagen engine and held only the pilot. The maiden flight was held in 1974, and that same plane is now displayed at the Dakota Air Museum, of which he was an avid supporter. Paul and Jeanette took many long distance flights and trips to see relatives until she was unable to go with him due to ill health. She died on August 22, 2004. Paul was a lifetime member of the Star in the West Masonic Lodge #33, Minot, where he had served as a Master Mason for over 57 years.

During his retirement, he did many special favors for his friends and was always willing to help someone out. He was well known for being able to help out others by making parts for obsolete equipment when parts could no longer be found. He also built miniature steam engines, which he showed at many threshing shows around Minnesota, North Dakota and Saskatchewan. He met and became fast friends throughout his career as a watchmaker, in sales and repair for banking equipment, flying and in showing his working engines. He will be dearly missed by family and friends.

His loving family includes : daughter, Paulette (Michael) Sunday, Surrey; granddaughters, Michele (Les) Goldade, Glenburn, Christine (David) Maxfield, Fargo; great-grandchildren, Matthew, Alexander & Rebekkah Maxfield, Megan & Amanda Goldade; sisters, Eleanor Vise, Burlington and Helen (Duane) Peterson, Minot.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, wife, brother, Robert and several aunts and uncles.

Funeral service: Friday, May 14, 2010 at 10:00am in First Presbyterian Church, Minot
Burial: Sunset Memorial Gardens, Minot.
Visitation: Thursday from 2:00-7:00pm in Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot.
Memorials are preferred to Dakota Air Museum or First Presbyterian Church, Minot.