Hal was a fun person and very nice guy.  I enjoyed knowing him and his wife over the many years that I prepared their tax returns.  I will miss him bounding into my office with an interesting story and a smile.

My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief.  May your memories bring you comfort.

John, Kristin and Eric -

We are deeply sorry for your loss -- and ours.  We considered Hal a true and good friend.

Hal was a special people person-we are sort of recluse and Hal was one of only
several minot hi contacts we ever had.

Earlier this year, I was fortunate to meet Hal for the first time and find out about the man that fathered my daughter's fiance (Eric).  What a treat, to learn all about his Peace Corp experience, his life, and the story of how Kristan and Eric came into his life.  This principled man will live on in the memory of his friends and family.

Dear Kristin and Eric, Your dad was a very special man.  I first met him and your mom in 1980 when I was a Lutheran Brotherhood agent.  We quickly became good friends and we enjoyed each others company.  What a sense of humor.  Your father no longer has any pain and he has been made whole.  That is one of God's promises.

Kristan and Eric;  Very sorry for the loss of your Dad.  He was a special man, a close friend and a wonderful neighbor.  He spoke of you both often and it was apparent how much he loved both of you.  Yeah, he talked of glitches in the way especially when Sandy was ill.  He was not ready to be alone but he took it all in stride.  But in the last few years when the going got tough, he just got tougher.
We spent many hours laughing at Miley (his dog) and Kirin (mine) as they raced down the fence between our houses.  Kirin went out when you guys came to empty the property and ran for hours looking for her friend.  I feel sort of the same way.  I know he doesn't hurt now and I hope you are both doing well.  God bless you.  bob focht

Hal, The man for All Seasons, touched the lives of SO many people in such positive & most often humorous ways.  He had the "knack" for making folks smile & laugh. He was always self deprecating as well.  Hal loved classical music so much & had it playing on the radio most everyday.  Hal & I met late in 2001, & were longtime companions &  partners  since then, & during the dark days ahead of him. I loved Hal more than anyone, ever before in my life.  The love we shared was deep & abiding, even thru the tough times when his illness took hold of both our lives & made things difficult at best.  He & I took many, many wonderful trips together, laughing & my, my,,, the endless talking we enjoyed! 
Hal's fabulous deep bass voice cannot be duplicated in this world. His was the BEST!  I wish he could have enjoyed more years of his retirement, although he did love his work immensely.  The people he worked with, all loved him & enjoyed his upbeat & fun personality so much!  I was at many  of the trade shows with him & saw, heard & watched how much he was liked by everyone. 
Kristin, your dad loved you beyond belief, & you have been such a blessing in his life. I've heard him talk so often about you & Eric, & how much fun & joy You brought to him.  I loved your dad, & he loved me; that's undeniable, & I've also been so blessed to have been loved by Hal.  His love will always remain in my heart. 
 I miss him & his love every single day.  He occupies a very large part of my heart, & always will..........  
     As always loving Hal,  
                  Juni Shaar

I HAVE SUCH WARM MEMORIES OF HAL.  HE WAS A SALES REP TO THE STORE FOR MANY YEARS,  HE HAD A WICKED SENSE OF HUMOR AND ALWYAS MADE MY DAY BRIGHTER. 
HEAVEN IS SURELY CELEBRATING HIS ARRIVAL. OUR COMFORT IS SENT TO HIS CHILDREN. REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES.  HE LOVED YOU BOTH DEARLY.
IN CHRIST, CHARLOTTE MYRICK, LAUREL, MS

I.met Hal in 1982 when I was newly employed by Fortress Press.  Later when Augsburg-Fortress Publishers became a reality we became colleagues and shared many great experiences working together.  He was a loyal friend to me and my family and demonstrated the same concern for his customers.  He was not shy about expressing his opinions, but they were well thought out and offered with the best of intentions.  One time when we were both in Seattle we had dinner together and our children and grandchildren were with us.  His opinion about Seattle was,"there are too many trees and bushes.". Coming from Texas and North Dakota he had his reasons.  Everyone who knew Hal was enriched by his friendship.  Peace to his memory.

I will always remember Hal.  We spent many hours together the last 6 years.  When I first met him I was so impressed with his mind and his sense of humor.  We laughed a lot!   Hal became my best friend and he introduced me to many places in Austin and San Antonio.  Our frienship grew into love!   He talked so much about his son, daughter and brother.  He dearly loved his family.  

You are finally at peace dear Hal.  You hold a very special place in my heart!    JaNeal Rockwell

Dear John, Kristin and Eric,
Hal and I first met at Concordia and sang together in the bass section for three years.  What a voice to admire.  He and I were planning to enter the army in June of  1964 and join the US Army Field Band Soldiers' Chorus.  Hal had a previously undetected heart murmur and was told the enlistment was not to be.  I was disappointed to not have my good friend join me.  I sort of lost touch with Hal until brother John joined the chorus.
When Hal returned from the peace corp, I felt he had changed and was a very strong advocate for the third world.My impression was that he felt we (USA) had let these people down and could do so much more for them.  Hal was truly a compassionate person.
My wife and I saw Hal last year in Austin and had a good visit. I noticed how thin he was.  He was always slender but this looked like the cancer wss getting the best of him.  
I knew he loved his parents, his children and his brother.  We will miss the booming voice that almost went off the scale for it's depth.
God Bless you old roommate and friend.  You are already missed.
J. David Pudas

John, Terry, Kristin & Eric,
Please know we are thinking of you during this difficult time. Wish we could be there. Hal is in a better place with our Lord, free of pain and suffering. Love and prayers!
George and Betty

I first met Hal when we were students at Concordia.We were both members of the concert choir.  I was a freshman tenor, and he was a junior bass. Tenors and basses were natural competitors, because most basses really wanted to the tenors!  Hal had a distinctive voice - one of a kind, or so I thought - until I met his brother the next year when John came to Concordia. He was a singer also, with another Kildahl bass voice.  John and I became best friends, and eventually sang our way through three years of membership in The Soldiers' Chorus of The US Army Field Band. It was because of my friendship with John that I came to know Hal as a friend.  I admired his wit, his intellect and his devotion to serving others less fortunate than he himself had been.  His time in the Peace Corp bears witness to that part of his character.  John and I have reflected together during the past year on the loss of a much loved brother.  My older brother died last November, and John knew him.  I share your sadness children, brother John and all who knew and loved Hal.  We commend him to Almighty God,the source of all comfort.

It's hard to believe that I've known cousin Hal for 70 years.  He was first "little Tupen", but my how he grew! A double bass - his voice went down way below where mine could go.  After years of health problems with Sandy, cancer struck Hal and was nasty. As they would say in Tanzania, "Pole sanna Bwanna!" After these years, it's good to say with Ps. 139:18, "When I come to the end, I am still with thee." Wayne Tellekson

I am very sorry for the loss of your father. Hal was one-of-a-kind. I got to know him when I worked at Liturgical Press and he was a sales representative at Augsburg Fortress. He was a great representative and someone who spoke his mind but always had a kind word for everyone. He will be missed.

Eric,  Sorry for the Loss of your Dad.....  Take comfort in knowing that he is Now re-united with your mom, and they are both rejoicing in the heavens above.   Looking down on you and ur Sister.

Very sorry to hear of Hal's passing. I worked with him at Augsburg Fortress and always got a kick out of his bodacious comments - never afraid to speak his mind. Wish I had known we were both from North Dakota. I'm sure we would have much to talk about. The world has lost a very good man. I was lucky to know him.

OBITUARY

Harold B. "Hal" Kildahl

January 3, 1941 – September 6, 2011

Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home

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