Obituary for Randolph "Rusty" Opland

He was born May 10, 1935, to Hilmer and Olga (Stetzer) Opland of Browns Valley, rural Mindoro at the family farm, the youngest of four children. He had many great memories of growing up as a farm kid and being outdoors in Browns Valley. He attended school at the one-room Rhyme schoolhouse. When that school closed, he attended school in Mindoro, graduating in 1953 from Mindoro High School. He was proud to have been a cheerleader for the Mindoro Tigers. After high school, he worked for Carl Wehrs of Bangor delivering machinery and thanks to that, he knew many of the back roads of La Crosse County and surrounding areas and who lived there ‘way back then’.

On June 9, 1956, Rusty married a neighbor girl, Bernice Bryhn at Bells Coulee Church. They were blessed with 67+ years of marriage before Bernice passed February 25, 2024. As newlyweds, they returned to the farm where they worked side by side and raised their family. Together they were the 3rd generation on the Opland farm. In April 2025, the farm will be the Opland family farm for 133 years. Rusty was a hard working farmer but always had time to help his neighbors and friends and share a story and good conversation. Sunday afternoons or evenings after milking, usually meant a drive around the area for a break before another week of farm work started. He watched the weather based on the signs of nature and the moon and a lot of the times – his forecast was right on!

Rusty loved to visit and no one was ever a stranger for very long! He loved a good visit, a good story, a good polka, Copenhagen snuff, peanut M&Ms, ice cream and popcorn – eaten with a spoon. He enjoyed cooking and grilling too. He loved the outdoors and when he “retired,” on most summer days you’d find him sitting on the lawn under the shade tree. He also loved trout fishing, ice fishing and deer hunting with friends and later his son, son-in-law, and grandkids. Great memories were made talking and laughing about their hunts around the lunch table during hunting season and are still being retold. Rusty also enjoyed making venison knockwurst with his family and was happy to see them continuing that tradition.

While there was always farm work to do, Rusty and Bernice enjoyed many trips “out West” to visit relatives. Lots of great memories of those times deepened his love for the West. The opportunity to trout fish in a mountain lake by Bear Tooth Pass, antelope hunting trips with friends, picking fruit in the orchards of Yakima Valley, enjoying the scenery of Northern CA, and helping on the ranch in MT were especially memorable. He was a faithful member of the Mindoro Lutheran Church and through the years, served on the church council and was the funeral usher for many years.

Family was important to Rusty and Bernice. Rusty was a caring supportive dad to their children, Karen and Aaron and only wanted the best for them. He loved being a grandfather and looked forward to taking the kids fishing or hunting and enjoyed hearing about their hunts when he could no longer join them. He also enjoyed watching the kids at school events, attending the fair and watching them show their animals or just picking them up after school. He was happy to see them all grown and successful. While he worried where the world and farming was headed, he was proud to see his son, grandchildren, and great grandchildren be the 4th, 5th, and 6th generations to work and care for the land and animals.

Rusty is survived by his children, Karen (Michael) Hauser and Aaron (Nancy) Opland, all of Mindoro; grandchildren, Trevor and Stephanie Hauser, Krista and Jesse Kook, Matthew and Abbey Opland, Tyler Opland, Kaitlyn and Sam Opland, and Kyle Opland (friend, Ashlee Garbers); and great-grandchildren, Kian and Kambri Hauser, Ellie and Jack Kook, and Rhett and Kinsley Opland. He is further survived by his sister, Zeviah Zube; sister-in-law, Beverly Mades; eight nephews; a niece; and many dear friends and neighbors. His heart also held a special place for their foreign exchange daughter, Rossy, of Guadalajara, Mexico.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Bernice; his parents, Hilmer and Olga Opland; his sister and brother-in-law, Mildred and Larry Timm; brother and sister-in-law, Bronson and Aldene Opland; brother-in-law, Walter Zube; nephew David Opland; in-laws, Milton and Estella Bryhn; and brother-in-law, Dean Mades.

Visitation and Funeral service will be on Monday, February 17, 2025, at the Mindoro Lutheran Church, Mindoro WI. Visitation from 9 AM – 11:30 AM. Funeral Service at 11:30 AM with Pastor Emma Grinde officiating. Burial will be at the Farmington Cemetery, Mindoro WI.

Our family wishes to thank family, neighbors and friends for their visits, calls and for caring. Your keeping in touch with Rusty has meant so much. Thank you to Pastor Emma for her visits, prayers and calls. Your friendship and support means a lot to all of us. Our sincere gratitude to the MHC staff for their wonderful kindness, care and support this past year.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the donor’s choice.

RIP Dad. While our hearts are heavy, we know you’re happy to again be holding hands with Mom.

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