Russell Van Voorst

Russell F. Van Voorst was born on August 16, 1946 to Jake and Vera (Rasmussen) Van Voorst in Luverne, Minnesota. He was baptized on October 20, 1946 and confirmed on May 15, 1960 at St. John Lutheran Church. He attended Luverne High School, graduating in 1964. He served in the Army Reserve National Guard from 1964 to 1971. On April 6, 1968, Russ was married to Myrna Crosby in Luverne where they spent their lives together. On November 27, 2017, Russ passed away following a short struggle with esophageal cancer at the age of 71 years, 3 months, and 11 days.

Throughout his years Russ had many interests, many of them stemming from tinkering with his dad as a child. He enjoyed fishing, trap shooting, golf, pool league, and particularly enjoyed touring Glacier National Park with his “out-laws”. He was a proud member of the Eagles Club and the American Legion. Throughout his life, Russ had many jobs, but the one he loved the most was “pushin’ snow” for MNDoT, retiring in 2009, after 22 years of service. He rediscovered a love for reading when introduced to the Harry Potter series and was thrilled in 2012 to have his daughters take him to Universal Studios, Florida to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction.

Russ is survived by his children, Tracy Van Voorst (Jeremy Kilkus) of Rochester, Minnesota, and Vicky (Nathan) Weissenberger of Onalaska, Wisconsin; two granddaughters, Lauren and Lucy; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jake and Vera, and his wife, Myrna in 2013.