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Daniel N. Christenson, 92, of Dassel, MN, passed away Thursday, April 27, 2023.
He was born April 26, 1931 in Dassel Township, MN, the fifth of 10 children.
He attended country school and joined the military before finishing high school. In the military, he received his GED.
After completing his time in the service, he went to the University of Minnesota, where he achieved two associate degrees, one being in agriculture. While at the U of M, he became a foreign exchange student to Sweden. After completing his internship, he traveled across Europe, sightseeing and interacting with people.
Back in the states, he worked a number of jobs, including being an orderly in a hospital, a cab driver, and a bus boy at a restaurant.
In the early 1970s, he discovered his true calling was going to be farming. He took over the family farm and bought a herd of cows to start dairy production. In 1980, he purchased the farm from his father’s estate. Daniel farmed and milked cows for almost 30 years.
When he sold the cows, he retired and put the land into CRP acres; these are acres that are set aside to help wildlife have a nice habitat. Daniel’s goal was to be a steward of the land. Part of this motivation was due to his fondness of bird watching and his appreciation for deer and pheasants.
Daniel was able to stay on the farm until Jan. 7, 2021, when he was no longer able to walk without assistance. He moved into Cokato Manor, where he received excellent care until five minutes after his 92nd birthday.
Daniel was a lifelong member of North Crow River Lutheran Church, where his faith was cultivated and grown throughout his life. He was a devout Christian, and his faith in God and his only son, Jesus Christ, carried him through many years of hard work and endurance.
Daniel was preceded in death by his parents, Art and Ruby; brothers, Dale and Duane; and sisters, Marilyn Kujawa, Evon Anderson, and Carolyn Koeneke.
He is survived by Rosalie Haglund, Mae Ruotsinoja, Lowell, and Sharon Winfield; brothers-in-law, Marvis Anderson and Franz Koeneke; sister-in-law, Ruth Christenson; along with many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and nephews, and great-grandnieces and nephews. He will be missed.
A celebration of life will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 20, 2023, at North Crow River Lutheran Church, with visitation one hour prior to services at church.
Arrangements are by the Swanson-Peterson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Cokato, MN, and Howard Lake, MN, 320-286-2534, www.swansonpeterson.com.
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