Pastor A.G. "Gerry" Dyste

FOREST CITY - Pastor Gerry Dyste, 79, of Forest City died Tuesday (January 19, 2010) at his home in Forest City in the loving arms of his wife, son and daughter.



A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at Highview Christiania Lutheran Church, 26690 Highview Ave West, Farmington, MN 55024 with a reception in the Celebration Center.



Inurnment will be at the Highview Christiania Cemetery.





Arvid Gerald Dyste was born in Greenbush, MN August 18, 1930 to Hans and Clara (Broste) Dyste. He was baptized November 8, 1930 in Roseau, MN and confirmed in Madison, MN. He attended schools in Eureka, Madison and graduated from Bellingham High School in 1948. He graduated from St. Olaf College in 1948 and attended Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul. While on internship for the seminary he met his future wife and life-long companion Sonya Sue Hanson in Forest City. He was ordained into the ministry in 1956 with a call to a 3-point parish in ND serving St. Johnís, Ryder, Immanuel, Roseglen and St. Peterís, Emmet.





Gerry and Sonya were engaged in 1957 and married on December 29, 1958 at Immanuel Lutheran in Forest City. They both attended school for a year in Minneapolis and then returned to Roseglen, ND to a reorganized 3-point parish. Their son Peter Gerald was born in Minot, ND in November 1960.





He went on to receive calls to serve Godís people at Our Saviorís in Bonner MT from 1961-66. While there his daughter Kathryn Louise was born in January 1963. From there calls came to serve First Lutheran in Bottineau, ND 1966-74, Highview Christiania Lutheran in rural Farmington, MN 1974-91, Immanuel in Forest City, IA 1991-1994. While at Immanuel he also taught classes at Waldorf College.





While at Highview he felt so privileged to serve as an exchange pastor at the two churches in Horten Norway 1985-86. While working on the history of Highview for their 125th Anniversary, he obtained his Master of Arts Degree in Immigration History from the University of MN in 1989. He authored and published ìThe Church They Called the Free Churchî and ìThe Twin Churches of Christiania, Minnesota from 1854 to 1864: A Study of the Causes of Immigrant Church Conflictsî which is published in the NAHA Norwegian-American Studies Volume 33.





During retirement in Iowa, he served as interim pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran in Buffalo Center, First Lutheran in Clarion and Good Hope in Titonka.





His hobbies were reading, painting, golfing, biking, being out in Godís marvelous mountains in Montana, watching the awesome sunrises and sunsets on the plains of North Dakota, marveling in the beauty of Norway, studying and writing the histories of his family and congregations and especially visiting with people.





He loved his family so much and delighted in his grandchildren.





He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Sonya, his son Peter (fiancÈe Caitlin Karolczak), daughter Kathryn (Dan) Hainlin, grandchildren Michael, Ben and Ally Hainlin, brother Paul (Jan) Dyste, and many nephews and nieces.





He was preceded in death by his parents Hans and Clara Dyste, and his sisters Marie and Norma.





In lieu of flowers, the family wishes memorials be directed to Hospice of North Iowa; the Parkinsons Foundation; the Forest City Good Samaritan Center Physical Therapy Department or the church of your choice.