John Landgren

John Roger Landgren was born on June 16, 1940 to Vincent and Marie (Simonsen) Landgren in Pipestone, Minnesota. He was raised on the family farm near Verdi, Minnesota where he attended school. In 1958, he graduated from Verdi High School. He grew up working on the family farm until he was able to purchase his own farm from Art Grinnell just a few miles away in 1966. He also attended and graduated from The Reisch American School of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa in 1966. He married Linda Biegler in 1972 and this marriage was blessed with two children. They later divorced in 1981. In 1982, he was united in marriage to Marlys Bergman. After they divorced in 2016, John remained on the farm near Verdi until 2022 when he relocated to Falls Landing Assisted Living in Pipestone due to health issues. He was recently admitted to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at the age of 84. 

John was a member of United Methodist Church in Lake Benton, Minnesota. He had a few jobs throughout his life outside of the farm like stacking flax straw in Lake Benton for $1.50/hour and working for Hellet Construction out of Crosby, Minnesota, redoing roads and driving their water truck. He also helped at the auction barn in Pipestone, many farm sale auctions and yearly 4H ribbon auctions. Although his main focus was operating the farm from all the livestock it housed over the years, to all the crops in the fields and the hay to be baled in the pasture, his most beloved passion was always raising and training all the horses and mules, along with buying and selling old machinery. 

He is survived by his two children, Mike (Heidi) Landgren of Fulda, Minnesota and Kim Landgren (Bobby) of Sioux Falls; seven grandchildren, Brody, Brayden and Brystol Landgren and Tia, Teiondre, Takyrie and Traeh Wilson; one brother, Barry Landgren of Verdi; nephew, Steven; and niece, Tricia; and dear friends, Carol Dirks, Greg Friese, and many other friends along with the staff at Falls Landing. He was preceded in death by his parents.