Joseph W. King of Cloquet died Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007, at St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth, at the age of 82, of mesothelioma. He was born Oct. 31, 1924, in Ortonville, Minn., to Joseph F. and Hilda (Berg) King. He graduated from Ortonville High School in 1942 and attended the University of Minnesota for a year before entering the United States Army. He served three years and was discharged in 1946 as First Sergeant in a Combat Engineer Battalion in the European Theater. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1949, and later completed management courses at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and Ohio State University.
He began his employment with Wood Conversion Company (later Conwed Corporation and now United States Gypsum) in quality control. In following years, he was promoted to management positions including director of manufacturing-blanket products with responsibility for the Riverside, N.J., plant. He retired in 1985 as vice president of manufacturing, Cloquet and Red Wing plants. He then worked as a consultant to USG for one year at the Cloquet plant. Joe was united in marriage to Ann S. Korkala in Cloquet on Jan. 31, 1953.
He had been a member of several community organizations, serving on the board of directors for Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet and later as president of the hospital foundation. He was a director of First Bank of Cloquet; co-chair of the Citizens' Committee for the construction of Churchill Elementary School; and in 1982 he was the drive chair for the Northeast Carlton County United Way. After retiring, he volunteered for 10 years as a tax aide to senior citizens. In 1994, he received the Cloquet Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award for community service. He was a member of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Esko and the Cloquet VFW.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Josephine, who died at birth.
He is survived by his loving wife, Ann, after 54 years of marriage; a daughter, Sandra (Mike) Schwartz of St. Louis, Mo.; a son, Mark of Cloquet; a grandson, Todd Stadnik, of St. Louis; brothers, Donald King of Mesa, Ariz., and Herbert (Joyce) King of Arden Hills, Minn.; and sisters, Vivian (Richard) Stuck of Minneapolis, Virginia Balster of Roseville, Minn., and Victoria King of Plymouth, Minn.
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The family wishes to express its appreciation to Dr. Ricard Puumala, Pastor Jeff Walther, and the dedicated doctors and staff of St. Luke's Hospital.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the St. Matthew's Lutheran Church building fund or to the Community Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, at Nelson Funeral Care, 1004 Cloquet Avenue, Cloquet. The visitation will resume Thursday, Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral service at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Esko, officiated by the Rev. Jeff Walther and the Rev. Tom Brinkley Music will be provided by Marge Stillwell. Pallbearers will be Larry G. Anderson, Roy W. Bohren, Bruce Kahara, Steve Mangan, John Manisto and John Polyner. Interment services will be at St. Matthew's Lutheran Cemetery in Esko with military honors presented by the Cloquet Combined Honor Guard.
The family has selected Nelson Funeral Care of Cloquet, 218-879-3225, to assist them with arrangements See their online guest book at www.legacy.com .
August 8, 2007
- Cloquet, Minn.
