Bernard Henry Nygaard

Bernard Henry "Ben" Nygaard, 76, longtime resident of Maple, WI, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at Essentia Health St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, MN. He was born in Alexandria, MN on November 10, 1948, to Stanley and Loretta (Buerskin) Nygaard.

Ben grew up on his family farm in Lowry, MN. It was there he acquired his great love of animals, except for the "stinky" chickens. As the eldest son, Ben was sometimes responsible for feeding his younger siblings, putting hard noodles and water in a bowl for them to eat. He also took great pride in being an altar boy at St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church in Lowry.

He graduated in 1967 from Glenwood High School in Glenwood, MN. He then attended Alexandria Area Technical School for Farm Equipment Mechanics. He always enjoyed fixing tractors and loved his Allis-Chalmers tractors. Over the years, Ben acquired the ones he grew up with on the family farm. He spent some time working at Gloege's Chevrolet in Glenwood and whenever new models came in, he was the first to see them. He was then responsible for putting newspapers on the windows so no one in town could see them before the big reveal.

Ben moved to Minneapolis, MN where he was a commercial carpenter superintendent with the Twin Cities Carpenters Union, working on such buildings as the Mall of America. He was also a member of the Fridley Jaycees and in 1985, became a Senator with the Jaycees International Senate (JCI), serving as Minnesota president from 1990-1991.

Ben retired at the age of 55 and enjoyed over twenty-one years of puttering around his Maple home, that he built in 2005, and traveling with his wife Carol. He had a passion for taking care of his deer, calling them in for feedings and eating right out of his scoop. He had a great sense of humor and loved to tell jokes and make everyone laugh. Ben always said his name was Nygaard with two A's "Norwegian" and loved teasing the girls, especially his niece, Cayla.

Ben was always dependable and was willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. His friends Mikey and Jerry were always with him to give a helping hand and sometimes not-so-great advice. He loved telling everyone he was going to have a tattoo on his arm that said "It ain't easy being Ben".

Right before his passing, Ben was blessed with a snow owl that appeared at the house, staying close by during the week of his passing. In some cultures, snow owls are believed to be a symbol of guidance, and some believe they guide spirits of the dead to the afterlife. Their appearance can be interpreted as a sign of important messages or significant life events coming to pass.

Ben will always be loved, and his absence will forever leave an unfilled space in our hearts.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 31 years, Carol (Luostari) Nygaard; children Christa (Mark) Schauer, North Branch, MN, Sandra (Robert) Perrin, Glenwood, MN, and Todd (Stephanie) Nygaard, Forest Lake, MN; stepson Josh Burnes, Sartell, MN; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; brothers Maynard (Susan) Nygaard, Shoreview, MN, Michael Nygaard, Starbuck, MN, and Raymond (Ann) Nygaard, Glenwood, MN; sister Lynette (Norman) Lien, Glenwood, MN; and many nieces and nephews.

Ben is preceded in death by his parents; sister Mary Magdalene; and niece Cayla Nygaard.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the staff at the Essentia Health St. Mary's Hospital ICU, for their tender care of Ben while he was in their care.

A Celebration of Ben's Life will be held from 1:00 - 4:00 PM on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Log Cabin Tavern, 2821 S. Cty. Road E in South Range, WI.

The Lenroot-Maetzold Funeral Home, 1209 E. 5th Street in Superior, is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave a condolence or sign the guestbook, please visit www.lenroot-maetzold.com.