Obituary: John Samuelson

John William Samuelson passed into the arms of his heavenly Father on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in Moose Lake.

He was born Oct. 9, 1942, in Cook, Minnesota to Walter Iver and Martha Irene (Mattson) Samuelson. The family lived in Cook before moving to Duluth, closer to Walter's work on the Great Lakes ships.

After his father died when he was 9, John and his younger brother, Walter Charles "Chuck," were raised by their mother, a short but feisty Finn.

John attended Jefferson Elementary and Washington Junior High schools, graduating from Duluth Central in 1961. He attended the University of Minnesota Duluth, majoring in forestry, where he learned his love for woodworking, graduating in 1965 with a degree in social science, minoring in geography.

His deep love of God and the guidance of his sponsor, Rev. Henry Aukee of Messiah Lutheran in Duluth, led him to his life of working for God in whatever position he was placed.

In 1965, John moved to Northwestern Seminary and served as an intern at churches in Hibbing, Robbinsdale, Meadowlands, Toivola, and in Webster, South Dakota. After his ordination in 1969, he served Arnold Lutheran Church, followed by Bethel Lutheran Church in Duluth until the mid-1980s. John also worked at Western Steel Cutters, a local sawmill, and for Rice Lake Township. He spent many years with the Rice Lake Fire Department and was a fire technology instructor for Duluth Technical College. John then followed a new path, graduating with a degree in civil engineering technology from the college. He worked with St. Louis County highway engineers until retiring in 2010.

John married Kim Turner in 1979, raising a family in Duluth until moving to Kettle River in 2007. John's life was simple, with country living and Christian values. After God, family was most important to him. John loved to make things out of wood, travel, do genealogy research, sing, and listen to music. He loved animals, especially dogs. Every dog he had loved him with complete devotion.

As a proud 100-percent Finn, he enjoyed spending time with his Brother Knights of the Pohjolaisen Maja No. 25 Knights of Kaleva in Virginia, Minnesota. John and Kim, a Carlton County Soil and Water Conservation District board member, were involved with many of the Finnish groups in Duluth, the Iron Range, and into the Cloquet area.

John's body was completely tired after over four years of fighting Stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. He didn't want to leave his family, but God called him home for a much-deserved rest.

His family gives their deepest thanks to the many doctors and medical providers through the years, especially Dr. Brett Friday and Dr. Kalkidan Bishu of Essentia Duluth and Dr. Stuart Bloom at Fairview in Minneapolis, and their gratitude for his caregivers at the Moose Lake Village, and St. Croix Hospice for their care.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Martha; brother, Chuck; beloved cousin John O. Barnes and his wife Leslie; cousin Jack Samuelson; and cousin-in-law, Deb Wagner.

He is survived by his devoted and loving wife of 44 years, Kim, of Kettle River; his son, Christopher (Shawna) Samuelson and their two children, Zane and Ella, of Duluth; his daughter Jennifer (Nathan) Johnson and their daughter Aila, of Moose Lake; his daughter Amy from his first marriage; his Mattson cousins Bill (Jan) Barnes of Michigan, Jackie (Arnie) Voight of Minnesota, and Cindy Barnes of Arizona; his Samuelson cousin Diane (Jim) Lewis and cousin Jack Samuelson's widow, Donna, all from the Twin Cities area.

A private family burial was held on Aug. 17 with arrangements through Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home of Moose Lake. A memorial service will be held at a future date.

Pine Knot News, Sept. 6, 2024