Reverend Brandt

Reverend Roland Carl Brandt

Loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-grandfather, and Father-in-law

Reverend Roland Brandt entered into eternal life with God at age 96. He was surrounded by family, Croixdale and Hospice caregivers in the last days of his life.

He is survived by his wife and life companion of more than 70 years, Amee Jeannette (Gunlikson) Brandt, and seven children: Mary (Dave) Croft, Tom (Ena), Fred (Ranelle), Mark (Merrily), Jennie (Tom) Merkling, Sam (Andrea), and Lois (Hugh) Tan, 11 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his youngest siblings Lincoln and Alberta Pieper.

Roland was born to Albert and Minnie Brandt on the family farm in Denver, Iowa. The church community was influential in young Roland's life and he became interested in mission work because of the mission festivals held each summer by the church. He graduated from Denver High School as valedictorian of his class but could not go to college right away because the family was short on cash.

In 1937, Roland was awarded a $40 scholarship from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, which allowed him to enroll in a one-year teaching course. His intention was to be a country school teacher. However, after the first semester, the family's financial situation improved and Roland enrolled in a pre-theological course of study. In June 1941, he graduated and then enrolled in seminary studies at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He graduated and was ordained on his birthday in May 1945.

While at Seminary, he met the love of his life Amee Gunlikson, who was his sister Aloha's roommate at Lutheran Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago. Amee also felt called to be a missionary. They were married by Roland's friend Louis Fabrizius on a snowy evening: December 28, 1944. Serving as best man was another seminary friend Gerhardt Reitz; Amee's maid of honor was Aloha Brandt. Thus began their life together as they prepared to become Lutheran Missionaries in New Guinea.

World War II travel restrictions meant that Roland had to leave on his own for New Guinea in October 1945. He finally arrived on the mission field in January 1946. Amee and first-born daughter Mary Esther lived with Amee's father until the war travel restrictions were lifted. In October of that year Roland reunited with Amee and Mary Esther, whom he was meeting for the first time. Their first home was the Kerowagi Mission Station in the Eastern Highlands.

In May of 1948, based on an invitation from the Omkolai people, Roland and Amee were assigned the task of establishing and building the mission station at Omkolai in the Chimbu Provincea�"a hard day's walk from Kundiawa where they were living. For the next five months Roland made monthly trips to Omkolai working to set up the station. In October of 1948, Amee, daughter Mary, and son Tom travelled with Roland to Omkolai and officially began working with the Kia people to build schools, churches, a health center, an airstrip, bridges, and a trade store. Roland and Amee dedicated their time to learning the language and entering into relationships with the people in their community.

One of the first priorities was building their home. The Kaukau Village people provided land for the station and helped Roland build a home out of bush materials: kunai grass, bamboo, and unfinished timber for framing. Initially, there were no doors or windows, and cooking took place in a separate structure. Eventually this cooking structure was connected to and became a part of the home. Some years later a project was undertaken to build a home from pit sawn timber. This home had plywood-lined walls and a galvanized iron roof, and water tanks to catch the raina�"a cherished resource during the dry season.

Over the course of 12 years, Tom, Fred, Mark, Jennie, Sam, and Lois were born in New Guinea and the United States.

Roland and Amee and their first four children returned to the United States in 1953 to live in Denver, Iowa in a home prepared for them by Roland's father, Albert Brandt. For the next year, those Brandt children who were school-aged attended the same school Roland attended as a child.

In 1954, the family returned to Omkolai. For Roland, life on the mission station was very similar to growing up on the farm. He established a farm consisting of a dairy herd, pigs, chickens, and vegetable and fruit gardens. He introduced a method of building construction using hand made bricks that required minimal amounts of cement. The machine used for making these bricks is called a Cinva Ram. This method was critical because there was no local supply for cement. Roland believed that brick structures would last longer than those made from bush materials. The buildings made from these bricks are still being used today.

The entire family participated in these activitiesa�"everything from milking cows to laying bricks. Roland also made many trips throughout the region visiting neighboring villages. He often took some of the children along, which meant they grew up being very involved in the work of the mission.

Roland was a keen hiker, which served him well in the early years when walking from place to place was the only method of transportation. On one occasion, he joined Ben Davis, Ray Jaensch, and a couple of New Guinean friends on a recreational expedition to climb Mt. Wilhelm, the highest mountain in New Guinea located in the Chimbu Province.

In July of 1969, upon return from furlough, Roland was given the post of principal for the Vernacular Teacher Training School at Rintebe in the Eastern Highlands of New Guinea.

In April of 1972, Roland resigned from his call in mission service to return to life in the United States. For 27 years, Roland and Amee had served side by side in the mission field.

For the next five years, Roland served the dual parish of First Lutheran and Highland Lutheran in Sherman, South Dakota. Roland and Amee became life long friends with people in these church communities and beyonda�"sharing in births, marriages, and deaths. Sherman was primarily a farming community. Roland's years on the farm gave him a natural connection to the members of his churches. It would not be at all unusual for him to go visit a parishioner and pick up a shovel to continue a conversation about the church while helping with what needed to be done on the farm. When they were done with the work, Roland often asked if the farmer needed more help and offered the services of the only boy at home, his son Sam.

In 1977, Roland and Amee received a call to return to Papua New Guinea as chaplain, caretaker, nurse, and house parents for Katherine Lehman Schoola�"the boarding school where all of their children had received some years of elementary education. This was a call they felt compelled to accept.

After this final term in Papua New Guinea in 1980, they settled in Denver, Iowa to live near Roland's aging parents. Roland enjoyed visitation work and served many congregations in this capacity for more than 25 years. He was fascinated by family histories and was a thoughtful listener. He had a knack for knowing when some factual assertion might be in error and usually gently quoted from a reliable published source to put the record straight.

In 1991 they moved to Stillwater, Minnesota to live closer to the greatest concentration of their children. Roland looked forward to helping sons Fred and Mark with their farming operations. He also became an active member of their investment club. Roland was ever conscious of the need for financial stewardship.

In living close by, he had the opportunity to watch grandchildren come into the world and grow up.

Roland and Amee loved their grandchildren and organized their lives as much as they could to be involved with them. Roland is survived by 11 grandchildren: Matthew, Angela, Sam, Amelia, Mary, Mitch, Luke, Amee, Frederick, Naomi, and Martin. He had the privilege of knowing 3 great-grandchildren: Kaya, Chaz, and Barrett.

Roland found opportunities to serve in that capacity for which he had unique gifts. He studied and remembered history and loved to hear people tell the stories of their lives. From 1992 to 1999 he served as visitation pastor for Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Bayport, Minnesota. From 1999 to 2001 he became Seniors Visitation Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran in Stillwater. In addition to visiting seniors he served on the Seniors Committee, which sponsored programming at the church, including special communion services, outings, and other activities. Roland never lost his interest in listening and learning something new.

Roland had joined Bethlehem Lutheran in 1991; he sang in the choir, participated in Bible studies, and remained a faithful member until his death.

Our family has obtained much comfort and guidance from the kind people who work for Optage Hospice as well as the publications of Barbara Karnes. In particular, her video Gone from My Sight (can be viewed at http://youtu.be/PPx-qpos57g) provided a special insight and comfort. The following excerpt from Karnes' book, "The Final Act of Living" describes Roland's life:

In his book, "Conversations with God" Neale Donald Walsch says, "I (God) have sent you nothing but angels." What a profound statement! It can be interpreted in so many ways. After thinking a lot about what "I have sent you nothing but angels" means, I finally settled on a message of reassurance. Reassurance that every occurrence in our life is a Divine Gift. Every person, every place, every situation, whether it is perceived as positive or negative is a Divine Opportunity, an angel.

If I can live my life from the perspective that all is as it should be, that all is an opportunity for me to experience, that every person and event is a Divine Occurrence, then fear and uncertainty gives way to peace of minda�"most of the time. We are all still works in progress.

Roland passed away quietly. The two people who were with him at the beginninga�"Amee and Marya�"were at his side. We believe Roland always knew he was and is surrounded by angels.




Memorials to the following two organizations are preferred to flowers:

Presbyterian Homes and Servicesa�"Optage Hospice
(http://www.optage.org/donations/)

Croixdale (Roland's home for the past 7 years) Staff Appreciation Fund
Mail checks to: Croixdale Home
750 Hwy 95 North
Bayport, MN 55003
Attn: Rene Roeser
(indicate Staff Appreciation Fund in Memo line)


Funeral service Saturday, March 28 at 12:00PM at BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH, 490 N 4th St, Bayport. Interment Hazelwood Cemetery. Visitation one hour prior to the service at church.