Obituary for Arlan J. Gilbertson

Arlan John Gilbertson, 93, of West Salem, passed away surrounded by his family on September 22, 2026, at Springbrook Assisted Living in Onalaska; 6 hours short of his 94th birthday. He was a lifetime resident of West Salem until moving to Springbrook in Onalaska last year.

He was born September 23, 1932, in West Salem, to John and Gena (Pedersen) Gilbertson. Arlan attended West Salem Schools through 8th grade before transferring to Bangor High School and graduating with the class of 1950.

On November 21, 1953, Arlan married Leona (Johnson) at First Lutheran Church in Onalaska. Together they enjoyed fishing, going for car rides, casino trips, family gatherings, and teaching the younger generation the fine art of lefse making. They shared 62 beautiful years of marriage before Leona preceded Arlan in death on March 18, 2016.

Arlan was employed at Trane Company for 37 years, retiring in 1997. He then worked delivering newspapers to surrounding counties for the River Valley Newspaper Group, retiring in 2012 at the age of 80. Following his retirement(s), he spent his time as a devoted caregiver to his wife.

Arlan was a blood donor for 57 years, donating a total of 27 gallons of blood. His blood was free of a particular antibody, allowing it to be used in transfusions to premature babies in neonatal intensive care units.

Arlan was a veteran of the United States Navy, assigned to the USS Winston, during the Korean War. He served from 1950 until being honorably discharged in 1954.

Survivors include three daughters, Debby (Joe) Young of Bryan, Texas, Diane Engebrecht (Rick Brown) of Coon Valley, Wis., and Tammy (Kevin) Morley of Eau Claire, Wis.; five grandchildren, Suzanne (Jason) Marquardt of Houston, Texas, Matthew (Codi) Young of Bryan Texas, Marie (John) Tutlewski of Onalaska, Wis., Ryan Polzin of Altoona, Wis., and Tyler Polzin of Eau Clarie, Wis.; four great-grandchildren, Jasmine Tutlewski of La Crosse, Wis., Kayla Tutlewski of Onalaska, Wis., and Jackson and Brooks Marquardt of Houston, Texas; sister-in-law, Lois Johnson; two special nephews, and their children, from the Gilbertson side, Larry (Laurali) Gilbertson and Harley Gilbertson (Lorna Mikkelson); and many additional nieces and nephews from the Johnson side.

In addition to his wife, Arlan was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Murven (Annie) Gilbertson and Harvey (Evelyn) Gilbertson; brothers-in-law, Donald (Myra) Johnson and Clifford (Jody) Johnson; sons-in-law, John Engebrecht and Steven Polzin; a niece, Theresa Ellinghuysen; and nephew, Donald Gilbertson.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 395 N. Leonard St., West Salem. Pastor Jonathan and Pastor Jean Schmidt will officiate.

Burial will follow in Neshonoc Cemetery, with military honors rendered by the United States Navy Funeral Honor Guard. Family and friends are invited back to the church for refreshments and a time of fellowship immediately following the burial.

A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m., until the time of service, Tuesday, at the church.

The memorial service will be livestreamed via the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church website and may be found at https://www.youtube.com/@techoslc/streams.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, the West Salem Historical Society, the Bangor Scholarship Fund, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Springbrook Assisted Living and St. Croix Hospice for the patient care given to our dad over the past year.

Online condolences may be offered at this site.