LaVERNE J. KJELLSEN

LaVerne “Vern” J. Kjellsen, 70, passed away June 26, 2010, at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer.

A celebration of his life will be held at Nugen’s Ranch today at 7 p.m.

Mr. Kjellsen was born May 1, 1940, on a farm near Arlington, S.D. He attended grade school in a one-room country school and graduated from Arlington High School in 1958. Mr. Kjellsen married Diane Delzer in 1961 and to this union, two children were born, Tamara and Kevin. He attended South Dakota State University and Dakota State University.

His life’s work centered around the organizations that turned his life around, including Alcoholics Anonymous. His friends and family want to acknowledge and commend his 17 years of sobriety. He also was ranch foreman at Nugen’s Ranch in Wasilla for 17 years.

Mr. Kjellsen is survived by his first wife, Diane Bristol; daughter, Tamara Worley; son, Kevin (Jerelyn) Kjellsen; brother, Richard (Carole) Kjellsen; sisters, DiAnn Pierce, Leann (John) Thompson and Lynne (Gary) Kaufmann; seven grandchildren, and many stepgrandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Verlo and Mavis (Pederson) Kjellsen.

The family requests any memorial donations be made to Nugen’s Ranch, P.O. Box 871545, Wasilla, AK 99645 in Mr. Kjellsen’s memory. The family from the Lower 48 would particularly like to thank those friends who became his family locally, including Karen, Shari, Jim and many, many others.

Arrangements were with Valley Funeral Home and Crematory in Wasilla.