Lester Oliver Stenseth

Wasilla resident Lester Oliver Stenseth, 80, died Nov. 11, 2010, at home. He was born on April 24, 1930, on “the farm” in Deering, N.D. He attended a single room prairie school through the eighth grade before heading on his own. While his formal education was limited, he was self-taught and wise in the ways of the world. In his travels, he won the South Dakota Golden Glove Championship, raced motorcycles in the Badlands and served in the U.S. Navy.

At 20, Lester settled in Fergus Falls, Minn where he met and married Joanna Jane (Hanson) Stenseth and they had five children. He worked at Otter-Tail Power. He built and raced stock cars as a hobby as well as being an avid hunter and fisherman.

He and Joanna divorced many years later and he traveled and worked as a heavy equipment operator and raced Modified Stock Cars in California. Upon his arrival in Alaska in the late 1960s, he worked out of Operating Engineers, Local 302. He participated in building much of Alaska as well as the pipeline.

Lester retired from Local 302 and built his home in Wasilla here he lived peacefully until the end.

Lester was honest to a fault with a realistic sense of humor. He had a very strong sense of right and wrong with morals and integrity to back him up. He spoke well of those he felt deserving. His “baby blues” were always smiling and no one would argue that he wasn’t a stand-up guy.

According to his family, “Lester – Hoss – Dad and Gramps will be missed.”

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lars and Oleanna (Sletten) Stenseth; his brothers and sisters, his former wife and eldest daughter, Janet Marie (Snook) Stenseth.

He is survived by three sons, Lee of Wasilla, Larry of Hamilton, Wash. and Lon of Deadwood, S.D.; daughter, Joyce Stenseth of Arcadia, Fla.; eight grandchildren, Nichole, April, Ami, Allison, Jordan, Lars, Gunner and Holly; and two great-grandchildren, Sean and Tara.

There will be no services as per his instructions.

Cremation was by Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and Crematory of Wasilla.