George Oliver Birk

George O. Birk, Jr., age 79 of Le Sueur, died Monday, January 23, 2012 at Minnesota Valley Health Center in Le Sueur. Funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, January 26, 2012 at Word of Life Lutheran Brethren Church in Le Sueur. Rev. Ed Nugent will officiate. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25 at the Kolden Funeral Home in Le Sueur and will continue one hour prior to service time at the church on Thursday. Interment will be in Mound Cemetery in Le Sueur. George was born on June 6, 1932 to George Sr. and Selma (Kittelson) Birk in La Romana, Dominican Republic. He grew up in the Caribbean learning the ranching business at his father's side. George graduated from the Military Academy in St. Petersburg, FL in 1950. He attended NDSU for Dairy Science. He married Joann Peterson on October 20, 1951 in Fargo, ND. He graduated from Michigan State University with his Masters Degree in Food Technology. His career was spent in the food industry with various companies including Green Giant. He and Joann lived in Le Sueur from 1966 until moving to Texas in 1976. He worked for an engineering company in Dallas and subsequently developed and sold electric sorting equipment. He moved to Waterville, MN in 2003 where he completed a memoir on his life in the tropics. George is survived by his two daughters, Carin (Jeff) Mootz of Le Sueur and Lisa (Jerry) Davis of San Diego, CA; grandchildren, Laura (Joe) Fuhrman of Le Sueur, Joanna (Jared) Ronningen of Fargo, ND, Sara Mootz of Le Sueur and Kristin and Matthew Davis of San Diego, CA; great-grandchildren, Jack and Cora Fuhrman. He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Joann Birk.