Alvin J Fast

He was born on August 10th, 1930 in Mountain Lake, Minnesota to Anna (Wieler) and Jacob Fast. He spoke mainly Low German (or more specifically, Plautdietsch) as was common among Mennonite families and learned English once he attended country school. He started his education at District 16 South and 16 Central Country School and then graduated from Mountain Lake High School in 1948. Bud was baptized upon his confession of faith on June 9th, 1946 at Bethel Mennonite Church in Mountain Lake, Minnesota

In 9th grade, Bud became active in FFA and in 1948 was awarded a “State Farmer” honor and attended the 20th National FFA Convention in Kansas City through taking his first-ever train ride. Even though Bud was the tallest boy in his school, he wasn’t able to play sports as he didn’t have transportation to and from school as gas was scare along with tires. Instead he started playing french horn in the high school band and watched on the sidelines as a band member during the state basketball tournaments.

After high school, he continued his education at Mountain Lake Bible School for a year which offered courses in Bible and German for adults. In 1953, Bud moved to Kansas as he joined alternative service (1-W) instead of going to war and worked as a nursing assistant at Halstead Hospital in Kansas for two years.

In 1951 at his high school classmate’s wedding in Kansas, Bud was set up with Velma Harms at the punch bowl. On May 27th, 1955, Bud was united in marriage with Velma Harms at the Grace Hill Mennonite Church near Whitewater, Kansas as tornados circled around the church. After completing his two-year (1-W) service assignment in Kansas, he joined his father in farming and Bud and Velma made their home and raised their family on a farm near Delft, MN. Along with farming crops like soybeans, corn, hay bailing. Bud had a Holstein dairy operation, built a 10,000 poultry farm in 1972, and later converted the barn into to a hog operation.

The 1980’s farm crisis hit his family farm very hard and he was no longer a full-time farmer as he had been for most of his life. He was able to continue to farm part-time throughout his retirement through the help of his son Jerry managing most of the operations. In fact, in 2018, Bud’s farm will be in the Fast/Weiler family for 100 years and he looked forward to receiving the “Century Farm” award.

At the urging of school officials in Mountain Lake, Bud got a license to drive school bus as substitute driver in 1985 and a new career was launched and difficult times ended up to be a blessing in disguise. There’s a lot that’s special about Bud and most of it stems from Bud’s love of people and in June of 1989, that caring personality became an asset to Cottonwood County Transportation System as the senior transit driver and manager of the schedules, routes, and vehicles. He participated in several state Bus Rodeos and received an Award of Merit in 1993. Ask Bud what his favorite part of the job was and he would immediately say the kids as the transit system served two preschools each day.

Along with driving bus for Cottonwood County, Bud would often drive charter bus in the evenings and weekend for Southwest Tours and Travel out of Jackson and Marshall, Minnesota. Velma who also loved to travel would often accompany him on many of these trips sponsored by local banks for their patrons.

He loved the perk of bus driving as it gave him the opportunity to travel to attend theatre productions, Twins games, and tourist destinations like Branson and Bismark, North Dakota. The job also gave him the opportunity to transport youth and attend many high school sporting events plus the luxury of meeting interesting and possibly famous people like a Grammy award winning jazz band. Bud would admit that another perk of the position was that he got in free where ever he went and when asked why he was still driving into his retirement years he would answer “What else would I do? I enjoy people and traveling.” Perhaps the best compliment Bud ever received while driving bus was when a small child on his route was asked what she’d like to do when she grew up and she stated “A bus driver – just like “Bud.”

One of his highlights was spending time with his three grandchildren. He never missed an event whether it was a ballgame, piano recital, or birthday. He could be found driving a horse to camp for his granddaughter or serving as the greatest cheerleader at sporting events for his grandsons. Has passed on his work ethic by example especially when it came to rock picking. Never once did he raise his voice or a harsh word. He was the perfect “PAPA.”

In spring of 2000, after 45 years of marriage, Velma passed away unexpectantly after just retiring from over 30 years of teaching. Bud continued to be very busy into his retirement years to cope with his loss and was fortunate to meet Dee Falk who became a close friend and companion.

In 2007 at the age of 77, he retired after 18 years from the profession of bus driving – “sort of” actually it just meant he was no longer working full time for Cottonwood County transit service as he continued to be a part-time contract driver for Charter bus companies. Windom Chamber officials noted when they hosted a retirement coffee for Bud in honor of his service that he had record breaking turnout due to riders feeling like they had an immediate friend when Bud was behind the wheel.

In summer of 2012 at the age of 82, he had to give up his passion of bus driving due to health problems related to his heart and diabetes. This didn’t stop Bud from continuing to live a very active life and he continued his hobbies of deer hunting, attending gospel music concerts, Oboboji summer theatre productions, and going on many antique tractors rides in Iowa, Wisconsin, and at Butterfield Threshing Bee. His favorite ride was through Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Butterfield Threshing Bee as it gave him a chance to be with his nephews. In 2015, he initiated the first annual Mountain Lake Tractorade as a part of Pow Wow days through the help of his nephews and friends.

Throughout Bud’s life he demonstrated in word and deed a strong and quiet faith in God and was active in Gideon’s International. He attended Bethel Mennonite Church and later the Alliance Missionary Church in Mountain Lake. As a young married man, he and Velma served as church youth sponsors, sang in the church choir, and was church trustee. He loved listening to gospel music and his house and vehicles were full of CDs. Every Sunday he would pick up his son Tim and take him to church and then go out for lunch. Bud’s strong faith in God provided him support and comfort through difficult health challenges at the end of his life.

He is survived by his son Jerry and Kimberly Fast of Truman, MN, Becky Fast of Roeland Park, KS, and Tim Fast of Windom, MN. He has three grandchildren – Jordan Fast of Volga, SD, Taylor Fast of Rochester, MN, and Kiah and Curtis Graber of Roseville, MN.

Bud is preceded in death by his wife Velma Fast, his brother Harry and his sister-in law Alice Fast and his nephews Dale Fast and Randy Fast; his brother Harold Fast and nephew Ronald Fast and parents Anna and Jacob Fast and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Written by Becky Fast, used with permission.
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His "funeral procession" included a host of tractors and farm implements, which joined the cars which gathered at the Mountain Lake cemetery.
(from online obituary source)