Red Lake Falls, Red Lake County, MN (trfnews.i234.me) — Velma LeAne Kuvaas Oakland died Monday, January 12, 2026.
Family members said she died in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.
She was 86.
Service details
A funeral service is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 24, 2026.
The service will be at St. John Lutheran Church in Red Lake Falls.
Reverend Jeff Lytle will lead the service.
Visitation will be held one hour before the service.
Burial will follow at Bethania Cemetery near Perley, Minnesota.
Education and public service
Oakland was born on December 29, 1939, in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Her parents were Alfred J. Kuvaas and Annie Klusman Kuvaas.
She was baptized at Bethania Lutheran Church in 1940.
She was confirmed there in 1953.
She graduated from Borup High School.
She earned a degree from Mayville State University in 1966.
She later earned a master’s degree at North Dakota State University in 1969.
She taught for two years in Granville, North Dakota.
She taught for two years in Tappen, North Dakota.
She then taught in the Red Lake Falls School System from 1964 to 1998.
She also held several community roles over the years.
- Head Start director in Red Lake Falls.
- Volleyball coach for the Lafayette Eagles.
- Junior high basketball coach in Red Lake Falls.
- Housing and Redevelopment Authority member in Red Lake Falls.
She served in the local education union for many years.
She also worked with Kramer Brown University programs.
Friends said she enjoyed many sports herself.
She later served on boards tied to Education Minnesota.
She also took part in the Minnesota DFL Party.
In 1996, she was a delegate to the national party convention in Chicago.
In 2000, she was elected a Red Lake County commissioner.
County information is posted at Red Lake County’s official website.
She was inducted into the Northwest Minnesota Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005.
Family
Oakland married Harold Arden Oakland in 1959.
He died in 1991.
She is survived by several in-laws, nieces, and nephews.
- Sisters-in-law: Carol Kuvaas, Terry Kuvaas, Carol Schmidt, Donna Mae Oakland, Paulette Bischoff.
- Brother-in-law: Allan Oakland.
- Nieces: Leslie McKinley and Claire Schembri.
- Nephews: Duke Kuvaas, Dan Kuvaas, Doug Kuvaas, Darin Kuvaas, Mike Kuvaas, Jay Kuvaas, Erik Kuvaas, and Nick Kuvaas.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her son, Terry Lee Oakland.
She was also preceded in death by several siblings and in-laws.
Condolences can be shared through Johnson Funeral Service.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.