Obituary: Bruce Ahlgren

Bruce Gary Ahlgren, 73, died at home in Cloquet on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. Born May 11, 1950, to Senja and George Ahlgren, he was the youngest of seven siblings. He graduated from Cloquet High School in 1968 and received a bachelor of science in education from the University of Minnesota Duluth. In 1974, he married Marla Maki of Duluth, and together they had three children, Angela, Jill, and Jonathan.

Bruce was devoted to his family and to serving the community in many capacities. An accomplished athlete in high school and college, Bruce continued to participate in sports throughout his life. He was an avid golfer for many years, a youth hockey coach, and a devoted fan of his grandchildren Aili and Kai’s baseball and softball games. He served on the Cloquet school board for 12 years, and as mayor of Cloquet for 16 years. He worked for Carlton County as a probation and parole officer, clerk of court, and court administrator for 30 years, retiring in 2007. During this time, he served on several state committees lobbying for funding for local projects. After retiring, he served as a local consultant for Enbridge.

Bruce loved spending time outdoors, whether at his cabin in Britt, Minnesota or, earlier, on fishing and hunting trips with friends and family. He also loved to travel, both across the U.S. and to Mexico, and more recently to Europe with Marla. He was an enthusiastic host, and often cooked for his loved ones, especially pancake breakfast and walleye dinners.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, George (Elaine), Arnold (Kathy), Ronald (Kathy), and Gordon (Linda, deceased) Ahlgren; sister Arlene Anderson (Dennis, deceased); and daughter Jill. He is survived by his wife, Marla; daughter Angela Ahlgren (Gurdas Sandhu); and son, Jonathan Ahlgren (Michelle Miskowitz); sister Rosalee Manderfeld (Jerry, deceased); honorary son, Jeremy Huhta (Tanya); grandchildren, Aili Huhta and Kai Huhta; bonus grandchildren, Lucy Huhta and Jack Polkowski; and many loving nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

A gathering of family and friends will be held 3-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 at Pedro’s Restaurant in the upstairs event room. A private celebration of life will be held at a later date. Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Care. Expressions of sympathy may be directed to the Cloquet Educational Foundation, 302 14th St., Cloquet, Minnesota.