Lloyd Christopherson

Lloyd Christopherson, age 79 of Madison, MN died March 7, 2017, at his residence.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 18, at 10:30 a.m. at First English Lutheran Church in Ortonville. Rev. David Tonn will officiate and burial will be in Mound Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at the church on Saturday, one hour prior to the service.

Lloyd Arthur Christopherson was born on February 24, 1938, in Jamestown, North Dakota, to Arthur and Anna (VanWinkle) Christopherson. Lloyd grew up in Ortonville and graduated from Ortonville High School in 1956. After graduation Lloyd joined the MN National Guard, Battery C, 175th FA BN, Ortonville, and was also a member of the US Army Reserves, XIV Corps, 775th Quartermaster Company, and was honorably discharged at the rank of Specialist-4, in September 1963, just prior to his unit’s activation for service in Vietnam.

Lloyd began a lifelong association with construction and woodworking, starting at Taylor Lumber in Ortonville in 1956, then began managing lumber yards in Cresco, IA, Fulda, MN, Randall MN, and eventually to Barnesville, MN in 1971 where he also managed a lumber yard. In the 1960’s, Lloyd designed and engineered the construction of several churches and commercial structures in various communities. In the mid 1970s Lloyd left management to start his own carpentry work as an independent contractor, from which he never fully retired. By 1982, he moved to Moorhead, Minnesota, and in 2006 settled in Madison, Minnesota.

Lloyd served his communities in three Volunteer Fire Departments – in Fulda, Randall, and Barnesville, MN. As a businessman, Lloyd was active in a variety of business and community clubs, including the Junior Chamber of Commerce. He was a longtime member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. When his sons were young, Lloyd was active in the local troop of Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts of America, and volunteered his time at camps, and fundraising events.

In his spare time, Lloyd enjoyed western movies, old west history, John Wayne, Johnny Cash, and woodworking. Lloyd built his own dream retirement home in Madison, doing most of the work himself, with old school craftsmanship and detail. When he was younger, he was an avid hunter and fisherman, and as a kid he often tagged along with his older brother, Robert, around the granite pits in Ortonville.

Lloyd is survived by his wife, Vivian; three sons (with first wife Roberta (Davids) : Alan (Jennifer) of California; Dean of Colorado; and David (Kathy) of North Carolina; step children: Ron (Lynn) Kolle of Minnesota; Val (Rick) Laidlaw of Minnesota; and Greg (Louise) Kolle of California; and his two sisters: Carol and Alice. Lloyd was preceded in death by his parents, Art and Anna; and his brothers, Myron and Robert.