J.A. Josefson

J. A. "Joe" Josefson, 92, a resident of Fergus Falls, MN, died Monday, May 28, 2007, at his home at Mill Street Residence. J. A. "Joe" Josefson (Josef A.) was the 5th born child of Johann A. Josefson and Gudny Hofteig Josefson, both of whom emigrated from Iceland to Westerheim Township in Lyon County, MN in 1878. Born on March 5, 1915, he was the last survivor of his six siblings when he died on Monday, May 28, 2007 at his home at Mill Street Residence in Fergus Falls. A lifelong resident of the Minneota area, until moving to Fergus Falls in 1994 to be near his only daughter, Lois and her family, Joe was very fond of his heritage and the people of his home community. He carried the dual gifts of a vivid memory for occurrences over much of a century and of an ability to share them as anecdotes in appropriate circumstances. Passing the state educational boards at the age of 12, Joe stayed at home a year before entering high school in Minneota to help his father on the farm until his younger brother, Leifur, was mature enough to fill that role. During that year, he was confirmed in Icelandic (the only one of the seven in his class to choose to do the memory work in Icelandic). In the fall of 1928, at the age of 13, he enrolled in high school graduating in 1932 as the 5th in the honor 5, all of whom were Icelandic that year. During his high school years, he participated in the: choir, dramatic, declamation, debate and football programs. He enjoyed studying Ancient History and took two years of Latin. As a young man he was a member of the Westerlites, a church based, township social group which included a band where he played trombone. For many years he was an umpire for township and community league baseball. Despite urging from his high school teachers to become a minister or lawyer, Joe responded to his father's request to forego college and help him, age 70, on the farm. So, in 1932, in the depth of the depression, at the age of 17, his father turned over the cash on hand of $15 to Joe and he took over the farm's operation. The diversified grain and livestock farm at one time included dairy, hogs, chickens, beef cattle, and sheep; however, when Joe discontinued farming in 1964, the operation included farrowing 200 hogs, lambing 150 from a flock of 100 ewes and finishing approximately 150 beef cattle annually in conjunction with expanded grain acreage. During the years from 1932 to 1976, Joe was active in community and public service through many venues including 40 years in elected public office commencing with his election, at the age of 21, to the chairmanship of the Westerheim Township Committee for the newly established Farm Program. He served in that capacity for 11 years before being elected one of three County Committeemen; a position which in those days meant oversight and actual administration and operation of the farm program. He was elected, in his 20's as well, to serve on the Board of Directors of the Farmers & Merchants Supply Company, a cooperative elevator, and the Board of the Minneota Cooperative Creamery Association, positions he held for decades (49 years on the elevator board). The original and 24 year secretary of the Westerheim Township Farm Bureau, Joe was, also, a life member of the Lyon County Historical Society and the Society for the Preservation of Minneota's History. In 1943 he joined Minneota Equality Lodge #238 of the Masonic Order where he served as Master. He was a life member of the Royal Arch Masons and Commandery #28 of Marshall, as well as the Zuhrah Temple of the Shrine of Minneapolis and he was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason. Serving as the Chairman of the elevator Board when the large concrete elevator was built in Minneota and instigating the establishment of an investment base to support the maintenance in perpetuity of the Westerheim Lutheran Church Cemetery (of which he was a long time treasurer) were two progressive contributions he made during these years of leadership. Joe was a man of industry and thrift. He described his approach to life as being progressive and forward looking. He was committed to public service. On April 6, 1950, he was united in marriage to Gladys O. Coover at Hope Lutheran Church in Minneota. In 1954, after 18 years of service with the farm program Joe resigned from the County Committee and filed for the State Senate in what was then District 13 representing Lyon and Yellow Medicine Counties. (The seat was open. Senator A. L. Almen, the former Superintendent of Schools at Balaton, MN announced he had chosen not to run after serving 24 years.) Joe was the first to file for what became a four-person race for the non-partisan position. The leading vote-getter in the primary, Joe defeated former State Representative Telford Orris for election to the Senate where he chose to caucus with the conservatives who were in the majority. (The caucuses were liberal and conservative following the 1913 vote to establish a non-partisan state legislature.) As a member of a large incoming class of first year legislators, Joe had the good fortune of becoming the seatmate of Elmer L. Anderson who later became Governor and long- standing University of Minnesota Regent. During his 22 years of legislative service, he experienced two reapportionments and represented three different districts which (at various times) included all or portions of 6 counties: Pipestone, Lincoln, Lyon, Yellow Medicine, Chippewa and Lac Qui Parle. In the majority for 18 of his 22 years in the legislature, Joe served on the Senate Rules Committee and the Committee on Committees. He chaired the Agriculture and Public Highways Committees, as well as the Buildings Sub-Committee of Senate Finance and the Interim Building Commission. (The latter was a joint body of five senators and five representatives that was established in 1957 for the express purpose of maintaining a continuous study of the building needs of state government. The Commission would study current and future requirements for new buildings, for maintenance of existing buildings, for remodeling of old buildings and would explore methods of financing the building program.) His committee service over his tenure also included: Senate Finance, Pensions and Retirement, Administrative State Departments, Education, Transportation and General Legislation, Metro and Urban Affairs, Energy, Elections and Reapportionment, Higher Education, Civil Administration, Aviation, Banks and Banking, Markets and Marketing, Soldier's Welfare and Soldiers Home, Towns and Counties, Local Government, Transportation and Communications, and the Commission on Minnesota's Future. It was Joe's privilege through both authorship and positions of leadership to be an integral part of many decisions which still impact society today, including the decisions which initially established young farmer programs, which upgraded the public highway system and facilitated the growth of the trucking industry, which established rural institutions of higher learning such as the vocational schools at Canby, Granite Falls and Pipestone and he was a Founder of Southwest Minnesota State University. His promotion of the amendment which expanded the investment parameters of the states trust funds - the earnings of which are dedicated to the support of public schools - was what he viewed as his finest contribution to the people. (The effect of this legislation has brought millions of dollars of benefit to the state.) An avid reader, he prepared himself well for service and both acknowledged and appreciated the breadth of education which was his through legislative service. Party designation was reinstated during the 1973 legislative session following the liberals attaining a majority in the state Senate for the first time in the history of the state. Joe was not re-elected in 1976 (an election not unlike 2006) when, following Watergate, he ran for the first time with a Republican party designation in the fairly liberal district defined by the 1970 reapportionment. Having moved into their hometown of Minneota in 1964, Joe became a member and president of the Minneota Rotary Club and he became a Registered Investment Representative, a licensure he carried for 20 years. Joe and Gladys made the first of 18 trips to Mesa, Arizona where they wintered at Fountain of the Sun in 1977. In 1994, they moved to Fergus Falls. During the 13 years of residence in Fergus Falls, Joe enjoyed the many fine people he met and he welcomed the opportunity to frequent the public library. He transferred his Masonic affiliation to Cornerstone Lodge #99 of Fergus Falls, and became a member of the Fergus Falls Noon Rotary Club where he and Gladys are both Paul Harris Fellows. He was a member of the Otter Tail County Republicans, the Fergus Falls Senior Center, Y's Folks, the Sons of Norway (where he was bootstrapped into membership by his wife's Norwegian ancestry), Augustana Lutheran Church and the Friday afternoon bridge group at Mill Street Residence. Joe Josefson was a man of faith; a lover of children, family, country and Minneota. He enjoyed reading, "good" music, animals, playing card games that were mental exercises in mathematical probability, and he respected prudent management of time and resources. He was an admirer of the common man and was one who took genuine pleasure in getting to know others. He would ardently seek ways both to support the endeavors of those who may appreciate a helping hand and to do his part to leave the world a better place - he was always striving. J. A. lived a life of elected and private public service. He appreciated those who walked the path of public service with him and those who gave him the privilege of being a public servant. As he surveyed his life, Joe would often repeat a characterization of him made by a neighbor three quarters of a century ago: "Joe is so lucky." This was his way of acknowledging the abundant grace of God in his life. Preceded in death by his siblings: Thordis Lindall, Isfold Olafson, Johanna Josefson, Helga Barr, and Leifur Josefson and his wife Gladys O. (Coover), he is survived by his daughter Lois (Robert L. Russell) and granddaughters Laurel Kilde (Ryon) of Fergus Falls and Heather (Brian Rekken) of Davis, CA and a sister-in-law Leola Josefson of Hopkins, MN. Also surviving are numerous nieces and nephews. There will be two local memorial observances, both open to the public. The first will be a short Masonic service Saturday, June 2, 2007, at 1:30 p.m. at the Mill Street Residence in Fergus Falls. Refreshments will be served in the Dining Room following the service. The second remembrance will be part of Sunday worship at Augustana Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls on Sunday, June 10, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. with fellowship to follow the service. The funeral will be held July 29, 2007, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Minneota, MN. Memorials are preferred to the Josefson Family Foundation, Augustana Lutheran Building Fund, or MSCTC Dollars for Scholars. Additional memorial designations include: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, the Society for the Preservation of Minneota's Heritage, or Minneota High School Dollars for Scholars. Arrangements are being provided by the Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls.