David Korsmo

David P. Korsmo, age 77, of Willmar, passed away Wednesday afternoon, March 17, at his residence in Willmar following an extended illness.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, at Vinje Lutheran Church.  Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery with military honors provided by the Willmar American Legion Post.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, March 26, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church.  In lieu of flowers, memorials to honor David's life may be given to the Willmar Area Arts Council or The Barn Theater.  Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.  www.petersonbrothers.com

David Palmer Korsmo was born to Constance (Berg) and Lawrence Korsmo in Seattle, Washington on May 3rd, 1943. After graduating from Lincoln High School in Seattle, he joined the United States Air Force and served at the base in Grand Forks, North Dakota. During that time, he met and married Kristina (Hagen) Korsmo. Together, they had 3 children: Matthew, Emily, and Joanna.

David earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and marketing management after graduating  from the University of Minnesota-Crookston and Moorhead State University. He eventually settled into a teaching position at Willmar Technical College, later known as Ridgewater College. He was an accomplished educator, recognized by his peers and the State of Minnesota as a finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

David loved and was involved in the Willmar community in many ways for the past 47 years. He was a member of Vinje Lutheran Church, The Jaycees, The Elks Club, and the Willmar Area Arts Council to name a few.  He enjoyed singing in the Vinje Choir, playing racket ball, golfing, volunteering with the Barn Theater, coaching t-ball, leading cub scouts, and dancing with a Norweigan Folk Dancing Club in the early 80’s.

David was a life-long artist who enjoyed singing, playing guitar, painting, and drawing. After he retired from teaching, he pursued making pottery. He quickly developed the skills necessary to throw beautiful ceramics with sophisticated glazes. Through pottery, David was able to tap into his great appreciation for art as well as further his constant pursuit of artistic knowledge and technique.  His beautiful ceramic pieces will be cherished forever by his family and friends.

In 2000, David met his wife Paulette (Samuelson) Roelofs. Together David and Paulette enjoyed visiting family, attending plays at the Barn, going out to eat, spending time with grandchildren, and simply being together. David loved Paulette’s children, Brent,  Jamie, and Marissa as his own.

David was blessed with ten grandchildren and spoke of them with great pride at every opportunity.  Elise, Siri, Baron, Jonathan, Julia, Jocelyn, Josiah, Hannah, Bella and Eva were his favorite topics of discussion and he loved and delighted greatly in them.

David is survived by his wife, Paulette (Willmar); son, Matthew Korsmo (Minneapolis); daughters, Emily (Chris) Dawes (Grand Forks), Joanna (Ryan) Korsmo Prosser (Plymouth); stepsons, Brent Roelofs (Minneapolis), Jamie (Sara) Roelofs (Willmar); stepdaughter, Marissa (Brett) Lauer (Willmar); ten grandchildren; brothers, Paul Korsmo  (Karen Tsao)(Seattle, Wa.), Alan Berner (Tulalip, WA), John Berner (Oshkosh, WI); sisters, Diane (Mehdi) Mohammadian (Oshkosh, WI), Deirdre Watts (Appleton, WI); several nieces and nephews.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Constance and Robert Berner, Lawrence Korsmo, and  sister, Susan Korsmo.

Blessed be the memory of David Palmer Korsmo, a life well lived and loved.