Grygla - Vernon Wikstrom, 82, died Monday, July 12, 1999 at Northwest Medical Center in Thief River Falls.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 16 at Grace Lutheran Church in Grygla with Pastor Delano Lind and Pastor Paul Knutson officiating. Joy Nordby was the organist, and vocal music was provided by Lowell and Donna Mae Hogberg.
Casketbearers were Doris Gill, Scott Wikstrom, Allan Wikstrom Jr., Robin Rosga, Sheila Tharaldson, Susann Currie, Deborah Ford, Becky Jo Maxwell, Sandra Jorde, Steven Tabor, Toni Ward, Tracy McGibbon, Corey Wikstrom, Christopher Wikstrom, Deserae Konickson and Becky Berg. Burial was in St. Petri Lutheran Cemetery in Valley township of Marshall county. The Green Funeral Home of Thief River Falls was in charge of the arrangements.
Vernon Emanuel Wikstrom was born on March 28, 1917 in East Park township in Marshall county near Strandquist, the son of Peter and Christina ( Kongsvig) Wikstrom. Vernon attended country school near the farm and later went to school in Strandquist.
He worked on his family's farm until he married Viola Adeline Lundell on June 3, 1939 at Crookston. For the first year of their marriage, the couple lived at Kennedy where Vernon worked on farms and in the potato warehouse. In the spring of 1940 they moved to Grygla where they farmed. For a few summers, Vernon worked on the pipeline. He also drove bus for the Grygla School for 25 years, and later he was a star route mail driver for the post offices in Grygla and Goodridge for 17 years, retiring at the age of 70.
Vernon and Viola enjoyed traveling by bus and automobile, and they visited all of the United States and Canadian Provinces. They also made one trip overseas. The couple recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with family and friends.
Vernon was a member of the Minnesota Farmers Union for 55 years and held offices on the local and county boards. He was also a member of the Star Route Mail Route Association and a life-long member of the Democratic party.
He enjoyed spending time with family and friends and especially enjoyed his 20 great-grandchildren. Vernon loved living on the farm and watching things grow. Following his retirement, he rented out his land and helped his son-in-law, LeRoy Johnson, operating his 4-wheel drive tractors and machinery larger than Vernon ever owned.
Survivors include his wife, Viola; two sons, Allan (Phyllis) Wikstrom of Baxter and Keith (Yvonne) Wikstrom of West Fargo, ND; two daughters, Jeanne (LeRoy) Johnson of Goodridge and Dianne (Derwin) Tabor of Maple Plain; 14 grandchildren; two foster granddaughters; 20 great-grandchildren; four sisters-in-law; one brother-in-law; and many nieces and nephews.
Vernon was preceded in death by his parents; eight brothers, William, Adolph, Peter, Arvid, John, Helmer, George and Carl; and five sisters, Inga, Mable, Ruth, Myrtle and Ida.
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