Harold William "Bill" Pesonen, 85, of Cloquet died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2007, at his daughter's home in Carlton. He was born June 27, 1922, in Corona Township, Mahtowa, Minn., to Matt and Gustava (Tervo) Pesonen. He attended the Beehive School. He worked on the family farm in Mahtowa until the mid-1950s when he traveled to California to follow his heart and make Margaret Amlin his wife. Marge and Bill returned to Minnesota and made Cloquet their home for the last 50 years. Bill started Pesonen Forest Products and was a logger until he retired in 1995. During the summer he operated a landscaping and gravel contracting business. He shared his love of hunting, fishing and the outdoors with his family. Bill loved to tell stories of the old days and he was working towards publishing his first book about logging in the early years.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Leonard; and a brother-in-law, Rudy Murto.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marge; son, John (Janet) of Cloquet; daughters, Alice (Allen) Johnson of Carlton and Lori (Jerome) Gill of Cloquet; sister, Edna Murto of Esko; grandchildren, John Pesonen-Johnson, Autumn Pesonen, Evan Gill, Ayden Gill, Dennis (Mary) Conklin, Jeff Hagen, Tim (Patty) Horn, Allen (Julie) Johnson, Tim (Melissa) Johnson and Landon Gill; great-grandchildren, Dennis, Brandon, Stephanie, Ashley, Jake, Samantha, Jacob, Danielle, Kirsten and Jessica; and great-great-grandchildren, Carissa, Rowdy and Madalee.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, in the Cremation Society of Minnesota, Duluth. A private family inurnment will take place on a future date.
August 29, 2007
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- Cloquet, Minn.
