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Irvin Strand, 96, of Aurora, Colo., passed away Feb. 1, 2026, at Rocky Mountain Regional Medical Center in Colorado.
Funeral services will take place Saturday, Feb. 14, at 11 a.m. at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be in Newell Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
He was born on Jan. 11, 1930, in Cylinder. At time of death, he was living in Brighton, Colo. However, he lived most of his life in the Storm Lake area. The majority of his retirement years were spent in McAllen, Texas.
Irvin was raised on a farm in Depew. During the Korean War he served in the United States Army as a tank driver. After leaving military service, he drove trucks for several years. He delivered mobile home trailers out of Indiana to many different states. He also delivered dairy and other types of products before spending several years at the Newell Elevator. After Newell Elevator he worked for many years at Wilson Foods in Cherokee until his retirement.
Irvin loved to ride his Goldwing motorcycles. He rode his motorcycle through almost every state. He attended the Sturgis motorcycle rally 25 years in a row. He continued riding into his 80s. As a younger man, he loved to hunt and fish, although he did not eat fish. He loved camping and boating. He inspired the love of camping, hunting, fishing and motorcycling in his children. During his last three years, in Colorado, he enjoyed going to the senior center and building small wooden cars with Toys for God’s Kid’s. He loved handing these cars out to little children in stores and restaurants.
When Irvin got out of the military he married Altabell Paulson on April 24, 1955, at Nain Lutheran Church in Newell. They loved camping, dancing, riding motorcycles and putting puzzles together. They often communicated with each other on two way CB radios, and belong to Western Iowa Breakers CB club, their handles were T-bone and Sparerib! They were also very active in Cub Scouts, Webelos and Boy Scouts as troop leaders. They had five children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Preceded in death are parents, Arthur and Irene Strand (Oneson); wife Altabell Strand; second wife Eleanor Strand (Bruce); children: Anita McGowan (Strand), Irvin Bruce Strand, Marvin James Strand; grandchildren: Bruce Irvin (BJ) Strand, infant twins Brook and Parker Saito; siblings: Lloyd Strand, Doris Paulsen, Bette Legler and Mary Mausehund.
Irvin is survived by David Lee Strand and wife Ella Strand; Paul Arthur Strand and wife Renee Strand; daughter-in-law Sylvia Marie Strand; grandchildren: Tyler and Sara Strand, Heather and Curtis Saito, Carson and Jackie Holliday and Holly and Will Vega; great-grandchildren: Vivian Strand; Kadence and Bailey Saito; Melissa, Dustin, Noelle, Caleb and Brendin Holliday; Victoria and Gabrielle Vega; and many nieces and nephews.
