Edwin Lloyd Byrnes

Edwin L. Byrnes, 95 of Lakota, a former Devils Lake businessman, died on Friday morning, July 16, 2010 at the Lakota Good Samaritan Center, Lakota, ND. Funeral Services for Ed will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Devils Lake with burial in the Devils Lake Cemetery. Military Honors will be accorded by the Neathery-Simensen Post #756, Devils Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake. Visitation on Wednesday will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral service. Edwin Lloyd Byrnes was born on October 7, 1914 in Reinbeck, Iowa, the son of Wilbur and Dianna Byrnes. Edwin married Cora Louella Bentley on February 28, 1942 in Grand Forks, ND. He was inducted into the Army in December 1942 and was deployed to France in 1943, honorably serving in World War II until his discharge in January 1946. Following Edwin's service in World War II, he and Cora moved to Devils Lake. Edwin owned and operated Goodman Electric in Devils Lake for a number of years, later changing the name to the “Water Works”. He retired in 1984. Edwin was an active member of the Devils Lake community. An avid skier, he was one of the founding members of the Lake Region Ski Club and spent much of his life promoting the sport and sharing his enthusiasm for skiing by teaching area youth. He also took an active interest in local environmental issues, particularly water quality, and regularly attended and took part in town hall meetings. A voracious reader, Edwin closely followed national and world events and enjoyed lively discussions on a wide variety of topics. Edwin is survived by his son, Dr. Dennis L. Byrnes of Boston, MA; daughter, Laurie (Darrell) Meier of Silver Spring, MD; and sister, Faye Benway of Littleton, CO. He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Cora; son, Michael; his parents; two sisters and three brothers. Edwin and his wife, Cora were strong supporters and benefactors of a number of humanitarian organizations as well as their church. The family has requested that memorials be directed to St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, or the Salvation Army.