In Remembrance

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Lester Charles Mattson

January 5, 1918 - March 19, 2017

U.S. Veteran

Service Date July 8, 2017

Visitation: 10 AM to the 11 AM Memorial Service Saturday, July 8, at the McDavitt Town Hall, 9042 Zim Rd., Zim, MN.

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Lester Charles Mattson, 99, of Duluth, formerly of Cotton and Kelsey, passed away peacefully on March 19 at Primrose Retirement Community in Duluth with his family at his side.
Lester was born January 5, 1918 in Duluth to Fred and Myrtle (Stauty) Mattson. The Mattson family moved periodically throughout Lester’s childhood, living in Duluth, Detroit, and Chicago. At times they were all able to travel on the Great Lakes aboard ore boats where Fred, Sr. worked as an electrician.
On June 26, 1940, Lester was united in marriage to Edith Strom in Kelsey, MN. During World War II Lester served in the Merchant Marine, and he and Edith moved for a time to Vancouver, WA. After the war, they returned to Kelsey, raising their children, Jack, David, and Carol, on the family farm along the Whiteface River.
Lester was able to do many kinds of work to provide for his young family. He worked on the ore docks and in the mines. He also did railroad maintenance, first on an extra gang, then on a section gang around Iron, Forbes and Kelsey. Having spent nearly all of his working life out of doors, working indoors wasn’t a choice Lester would have willingly made. While working on a line-building crew for the telephone company he suffered a badly broken leg. Despite his preference to work outside, Lester made the most of his drafting background and took a job as draftsman for the St. Louis County Highway Department. Not long after, he became the Highway Department’s Right of Way Agent, a position he held until he retired from the county. His ministry career began with service as part of the Presbyterian Mobile Mission. Lester ultimately became the pastor of Cotton Covenant Church, a role he filled for twenty-five years.
Lester was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Edith; his parents, Myrtle (GoGo) and Fred (Pa Fred), Sr.; brother Fred, Jr.; sister Myrtie in early childhood; Edith’s four sisters and their spouses; and daughter-in-law Doris.
Lester is survived by his children Jack Mattson; Dave (Dede) Mattson; and Carol (Dan) Christensen; nine grandchildren and their spouses; 17 great-grandchildren; and 8 great-great grandchildren.
Visitation: 10 AM to the 11 AM Memorial Service Saturday, July 8, at the McDavitt Town Hall, 9042 Zim Rd., Zim, MN.
Memorials are preferred to Riverside Chapel (Forbes, MN); the Salvation Army; and Union Gospel Mission (Duluth).
Arrangements by Affordable Cremation and Burial, Duluth, MN