Obituary of Dennis Reed Carlson

Dennis Reed Carlson, 76, died at home Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's. He was born on Feb. 14, 1939 in Duluth to parents Myrtle and Del V. Carlson. Dennis graduated from Duluth East High, attended the University of Colorado and University of Minnesota-Duluth, majoring in Business and English. In the 1960s he served in the Air National Guard. Dennis designed and sold business forms. Later he combined his love of the North Shore with his gift for sales when he created North Land Express. He enjoyed poetry, the works of Sigurd Olson, read the Wall St. Journal every day and loved discussing politics. Dennis married Caroline Rea in 1964 and the couple had two daughters, Shelley and Sarah. Dennis and his wife shared a love of the outdoors, canoeing the BWAC, building a cabin on the Seagull River and snowmobiling. The family made maple syrup and grew vegetables to sell at the Farmers market. They enjoyed Alaskan Malamutes, living on the St. Louis River and taking long car trips. Dennis was extremely proud of his daughters and thrilled to be a grandfather. Dennis was preceded in death by his father Del Victor Carlson. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Caroline; daughters, Shelley (Joseph) Rothstein of Champlin, Minn. and Sarah (Dave) Johnson of Chaska, Minn.; grandchildren, Elijah, Elizabeth and Nathaniel Rothstein and Kathryn Johnson; mother, Myrtle Goetzinger Carlson of Duluth; sister, Claudia Cavanaugh of Rice Lake, Wis.; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended family and friends. MEMORIAL SERVICE: 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 6822 Grand Ave., followed by a gathering of family and friends. Private burial will be at Oneota Cemetery. To complete the Carlson Family Cemetery Plots, family memorial donations will go towards placing markers on the unmarked graves of his father's twin brothers, Russell and Gilbert, who died in 1910; additional donations will go to the Alzheimer's Association.