Paul Clayton Solberg, age 81, of Wixom MI passed away peacefully July 23, 2019 at the home of his niece, Kathleen Hanson, in Northfield, MN. Paul was born August 3, 1937 to Edwin and Lyla (Jordahl) Solberg of rural Manchester, MN.
Paul was baptized and confirmed at the Manchester Evangelical Lutheran Church in Manchester MN. He attended Manchester’s two-room school house for 1st through 8th grade and graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1955. He went to business school to study accounting.
He met Nadine White while she was teaching school in Albert Lea. They married in 1960 and moved to Pierre, SD where Nadine grew up. There Paul worked in the accounting department at the Oahe and Big Bend dams during their construction along the Missouri River.
They later moved to Richfield, MN where daughter, Nancy and son, David were born. During the time they lived in Richfield Paul worked for the United Way, Legal Aid Society and the St Paul Jewish Center.
His last years were spent in Wixom, MI caring for their son David during his 10-year struggle with Leukemia (David died in 2008) and later, wife Nadine (who died in 2017) who suffered health issues that included becoming paralyzed from the waist down during a hospitalization. He continued to stay living in Michigan to be close to his grandson, Zachery Solberg.
Paul’s heart was damaged in childhood when he had rheumatic fever. In 1975 Paul was fitted with a metal artificial heart valve and in 2010 a pacemaker was installed. Paul developed advanced kidney disease (failure) followed by congestive heart failure.
He was preceded in death by his son David, wife Nadine, brother Elvin, and brothers-in-laws James Hanson and Ronald White.
Survivors include daughter Nancy Williams and granddaughters Wynne and Gabrielle Williams of New Bedford, MA, grandson Zachary Solberg of Whitelake, MI, sister Lorraine Hanson, Northfield, MN, sister-in-law Wilda Solberg, Albert Lea, MN and special friends, Frank Casenhiser, Wixom, MI and Stan Zahorsky, Edina, MN. Also, many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews will all miss his: collection of hats to cover his bald head, his love of the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Twins, avid viewing of Fox News and reading the NRHEG Star Eagle newspaper each week.
Paul’s Memorial Service will be held, Friday, August 30, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the Manchester Evangelical Lutheran Church, 101 McKinley St, Manchester, MN, with visitation at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Manchester Evangelical Lutheran Church bell tower restoration would be appreciated. Paul’s parents and grandparents were founders of this church. Burial will be at the Hillcrest Cemetery, Albert Lea, MN.