Grant Pickar
1947 – 2021
Grant Pickar, 74, of Wadena, Minnesota, passed away on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 in Fargo, North Dakota.
Funeral services were held on December 4, 2021, at Karvonen Funeral Home in Wadena with Pastor Don Wagner officiating. Urnbearers were Levi Willis, Keith, Brady, and Alexis Hall. Honorary pallbearers were the members of the Deer Creek Lions and the Sebeka High School Class of 1965.
Grant Louis Pickar was born on July 28, 1947, in Bertha, Minnesota. His parents were the late Irwin and Ruth (Kempton) Pickar. Grant grew up on the family dairy farm. He was baptized on September 21, 1947, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wadena, Minnesota. Grant was confirmed on June 26, 1962, at Grace Lutheran Church in Sebeka, Minnesota. He attended Sebeka High School, graduating with the class of 1965.
On December 31, 1966, Grant and Judy Erickson were united in marriage and blessed with two children Teresa and Jared. They made their home in Crystal where Grant was a machinist. Moving back to Wadena area, he worked for Uselman Electric Company, before driving semi cross country for Cenex for 10 years. Grant worked for Anderson Bros. in Brainerd for 12 years in road construction hauling asphalt. On April 8, 1995, Grant and Joanne Novak Hall were united in marriage at Zion Lutheran Church in Brainerd. They made their home in Brainerd, before moving to Cass Lake area where they lived for 18 years. In 1995 Grant started working for Buffalo Bituminous / Knife River, again hauling asphalt and running a roller until the time of his retirement in 2009.
Following his retirement, Grant and Joanne sold their home on Steamboat Lake at Cass Lake and traveled the western states by 5th Wheel and enjoyed visiting family and friends and site seeing. They came back to this area and bought a home near Deer Creek in 2017. On March 1, 2021, they moved to Wadena.
Grant was a Life member of Minnesota Darkhouse and Angling Association. He also was a member of Deer Creek Lions. He enjoyed spear fishing, hunting, gardening, and landscaping, puzzles and traveling.
Preceding Grant in death are his parents, Irwin and Ruth Pickar; and his brother Darold Pickar.
He will be dearly missed by his family and friends. Surviving Grant is his loving wife: Joanne; daughter: Teresa (Wayne Thomson) Manselle, Wadena; son: Jared (Christina Johnson) of Verndale; stepson: Kyle (Linda) Hall of Brainerd; grandchild: Levi Willis; step-grandchildren: Keith, Brady, Alexis Hall; brother: Farron (Marsha) of Park Rapids; many other relatives and a host of friends.
Arrangements were entrusted to Karvonen Funeral Home in Wadena. Online condolences may be left at karvonenfuneralhome.com.