Benson Funeral Home

Alfred Leja, Age 90

Visitation Location:

No Visitation

Funeral Time:

Sunday, May 7, 2006 at 2:00 PM

Funeral Location:

Celebration Lutheran Church, Sartell, MN

    Alfred “Al” Eric Leja
    (May 2, 1915 – April 18, 2006)

     Alfred “Al” E. Leja, age 90, St. Cloud, Minnesota, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at St. Benedict’s Senior Community, St. Cloud, Minnesota.
     Memorial services will be Sunday, May 7th at 2 p.m. at Celebration Lutheran Church, Sartell, Minnesota. Funeral arrangements were made by Benson Funeral Home, St. Cloud.
     Al was born May 2, 1915 in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Joseph and Caroline (Waldeck) Leja. He married Edith Wunder on January 26th, 1947 in Clifton, New Jersey.
     In 1952, Al and Edie moved their young family to Austin, Texas, where Al was chosen for the chair of English at Concordia Lutheran College (now Concordia University). In addition to his teaching duties there he found time to produce and direct theatrical performances a head of the Drama department, took on vacancy pastor duties at Evangelists’ Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Kingsbury, Texas, and began his doctoral studies at the University of Texas. He received his PhD in English in 1962.
    In 1965 the family moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas where Al was head of the English Department at Arkansas State University, and they moved again in 1968 to St. Cloud, Minnesota where Al taught at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) until he retired in 1985. Al was a professor emeritus of English at SCSU and a Lutheran pastor emeritus, appointed by Evangelists’ Lutheran Church in Kingsbury, where he remained in membership at the time of his demise. He attended Celebration Lutheran Church of Sartell, MN.
     Survivors include his wife, Edith Leja of St. Cloud, two children, Kathy Laumb of St. Cloud, Kevin St. John (Patricia) Leja of Bellingham, WA, granddaughter, Vanessa, and several nieces and nephews.
     He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother (Emil), and one sister (Martha).
     In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Heifer Project International, St. Cloud, MN. www.heifer.org.

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Benson Funeral Home • 1111 25th Avenue South • St. Cloud, MN 56301 • (320) 252-3132 • info@bensonfuneralhome.com