Bruce E. Ellingson

Bruce Ellingson was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota on December 28, 1952. He died at the age of 71 on September 15, 2024 due to glioblastoma brain cancer.

 Bruce grew up in Elbow Lake, Minnesota and graduated from Elbow Lake High School in 1971. He enjoyed playing basketball and track, as well as playing cornet in the band. He appreciated his high school classmates, which numbered in the low 60s.

 His first job was his favorite -- working on the Westrom farms of Norman and his son Myron. Employment started in his early teens. He hauled manure, baled hay, hauled grain, cultivated corn and soybeans, and more. But his favorite farm activity was plowing. He just loved plowing.

 Bruce attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and graduated in May 1975 with a major in accounting and a minor in mathematics. He worked for Adrian Helgeson & Co. in public accounting for four years and lucked out passing the CPA exam. He spent the rest of his working days with construction-related companies. His favorite years were with Donlar Construction and Royl Masonry Company. The owners of Donlar and Royl were wonderful people. They had high integrity and were generous in their care of employees.

 In 1976, he met the love of his life in Joyce Elliott from Sarona, Wisconsin. They were married in September 1977 and honeymooned on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. They had two wonderful children. Kjersten was born in June 1980, and Kevin was born in October 1983. Centerpieces of those years were the summer family camping trips – always to the North Shore, but also including repeat trips to the Badlands, Black Hills, Yellowstone and the Tetons. Bruce and Joyce’s world opened as the kids grew, their travel opportunities expanding with Kjersten and Kevin’s life pursuits. New places became favorite places.

 He loved being a member of Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church of Plymouth for about twenty years, serving as treasurer for the church several times. When he and Joyce moved very close to downtown Minneapolis in 2002, they became members of Central Lutheran Church of Minneapolis. They loved Central. He was involved in ushering, several different committees, and other activities, which led to many cherished friendships.

 But life became very difficult on December 1, 2019, when daughter Kjersten and grandsons William and Nelson were shot and killed. Ten months later Joyce died from cancer, which she had been battling since 2016. Life had been a big challenge since then. Survival after these losses came from dozens of stays on the North Shore past Grand Marais. Hiking in the woods and walking the Lake Superior shoreline kept him alive, and it is now where his soul returns.

 Bruce is survived by his son Kevin Ellingson (Molly) and granddaughter Maz, sister Karen Ellingson, nephew Jesse Diaz, brothers-in-law Roger Elliott (Ellen), Robert Elliott (Wendy), nephews Mark Elliott (Ann), Aaron Elliott (Danica), and niece Lisa Miller (Chris).

 Bruce is preceded in death by wife Joyce, daughter Kjersten, grandsons William and Nelson, niece Iliana Diaz, parents Shirley and Sidney Ellingson, and in-laws Inez and Stanley Elliott. The memorial service will be held 3pm Thursday, October 10, 2024 at Central Lutheran Church, 333 South 12th Street, Minneapolis. Visitation 1 hour prior to service. If memorials desired, please acknowledge Central Lutheran Church or Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church of Plymouth.