Daniel Lynn Elleson was born April 16, 1949 in Thief River Falls, MN, to William (Bud) and Donna (Hoard) Elleson. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls and confirmed at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN. Danny attended Elementary schools in Thief River Falls and Duluth, MN; Washington Junior High in Duluth and Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, graduating in 1968.
Danny worked for Arctic Cat while still in high school. Following graduation, he enlisted in the Army and after completing basic training was sent to Vietnam where he served in the infantry and later in communications.
On August 14, 1971, just two weeks after returning from Vietnam, Danny was married to Jan trfnews.i234.me at Trinity Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls. The couple moved to Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia for his last assignment in the army where he served as an instructor in the communication’s area. He was honorably discharged in May 1972 and returned to Thief River Falls where he joined the Army National Guard and again worked at Arctic Cat for a short time. During this time their first daughter Nichole was born on July 24, 1972.
The family then moved to Detroit Lakes, MN where he began his 30-year career in the telephone industry, working for Northwestern Bell as a lineman. The family lived in Detroit Lakes for 5 years where their second daughter Rochelle was born on August 13, 1975. The family again moved back to Thief River Falls where Danny served as supervisor for the northwestern part of the state of MN for Northwestern Bell. During this time he took crews to southern Florida after a major hurricane to help restore communication lines and to Yuma, AZ for a special project.
Danny transferred to Southwestern Bell in McAllen, TX, where he worked from 1982-1990 as supervisor in the areas of installation, repair, and IT. He eventually transferred to San Antonio, TX, where he worked mainly in the IT area – eliminating old systems, updating new ones, and providing training across many regions of the US. He retired after 30 years of service in 2003 and did contract work for Southwestern Bell for several years following his retirement.
In 1996 Danny received a Letter of Commendation from the FBI for his quick action and help in determining the location of a kidnapped 13-year-old girl in Texas.
Danny loved the beach, experiencing its vastness and hearing the sounds of the waves. He also loved pontoon rides on Lake Lida in Minnesota, sailing at Canyon Lake in Texas, golfing, watching movies, relaxing on the patio, and he especially loved spending time with his family. He was an amazing host to the many friends and relatives who visited the family in San Antonio…never tiring of giving tours of this beautiful city they called home. He was also very interested in architecture and design and loved touring new homes.
Danny was a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He was always patient, kind, humble, and thoughtful. He will be dearly missed.
Daniel is survived by his wife Jan (trfnews.i234.me) Elleson of San Antonio, TX; daughters: Nichole (Rugger) Gottsacker of San Antonio, TX, and Rochelle (Jimmy) Maglothin of Katy, TX; grandchildren: Harry Gottsacker, Charlie Gottsacker, Bella Meyers, Mia Meyers, and Austin Maglothin; siblings: Carol (Paul) Ihle of Thief River Falls, MN, Peggy (Lee) Simmons of Moorhead, MN, Bonnie (Dwight) trfnews.i234.me of Thief River Falls, MN, Jim (Elizabeth) Elleson of Austin, TX, and Judi (Rick) Brunner of Park Rapids, MN; stepmother: JoAnn Elleson Youngquist, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Daniel is preceded in death by his father, William (Bud) Elleson; mother, Donna Manning; nephew, James Elleson, Jr.; and niece, Jamie Elleson.
Daniel Lynn Elleson, 75, of San Antonio, TX, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, October 28, 2024, surrounded by his loving family after a courageous year and a half battle with cancer. May he rest in peace.
A memorial service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls, MN, on Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Hospital specializing in cancer treatment for children.
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