Gary Mikkelsen

Gary Mikkelsen, 75, of Moorhead, died Sunday, February 5, 2017, at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo.

Gary Lee Mikkelsen was born August 31, 1941, in Fargo, ND, to Clarence and Irene Safgren Mikkelsen. He graduated from Glyndon High School and attended classes at NDSU for 2 years before moving to Denver and Boulder, CO where he spent a short time working in sales.

On March 16, 1963, Gary was united in marriage to Marlys Muhle, in Denver. Marlys and Gary met while in the first grade together, and Marlys knew by fourth grade that Gary would be the one she would marry. They moved back to Moorhead and Gary managed his father’s Tastee Freez business in Glyndon for some time. Following in his father’s footsteps in insurance, he began working for the family business, Mikkelsen Insurance Agency, later purchasing the business from his father. Gary was very active in the local business community and was actively involved in the business up until the time of his death.

When he was younger, Gary was active in the Moorhead J.C.’s. He loved playing golf and built custom golf clubs for many of his friends. He enjoyed camping at Tony’s Campground on Lake Ida in the summer, and traveling in the motorhome with Marlys in the winter throughout the southern U.S. For the past 11 years, Gary and Marlys would spend a couple of months each winter in Arizona, where his mother has resided since his father’s death. Always surrounded by family and friends, Gary was a caretaker of everyone he knew, and would do anything to help others. He was generous and giving, and made many special connections in the community and touched a lot of people’s lives through his business.

Gary is survived by his wife of 53 years, Marlys; his mother, Irene Mikkelsen, Chandler, AZ; his children, Ann Michael Kopiecki, Andover, MN, Steven Julie Mikkelsen, Fargo, James Dalinda Mikkelsen, Moorhead, and Suzanne Mikkelsen, Phoenix, AZ; his sister, Patricia Olness, Chandler, AZ, and his grandchildren, John Meschke, Joseph Meschke, Anthony Kopiecki, Raechel Kopiecki, Alexandra Kopiecki, Benjamin Mikkelsen, Aaron Vogt, Sarah Vogt, and Andrew Grimsby.

He was preceded in death by his father and his brothers, Ronald Mike and Thomas.