Bernard "Butch" Lodin

Bernard H. “Butch” Lodin Jr., 82, son of Bernard H. “Barney” Lodin Sr. and Reva Jean Lodin, of Backus, MN, formerly of Forest Lake, MN, Moorhead, MN, and Andover, MN, passed away at home on Thursday, June 20, 2024.

Butch is preceded in death by his son, James Lodin. He is survived by his wife, Dianne; sons, Steve Lodin (Jill), and Neil Lodin (Karen); daughters, Lisa Lodin, and Tamara Klein (Brian); sister, Marilynn Lodin; and grandchildren, Hannah Jarvis (Nick), Noah Lodin, Ian Lodin, Rylie Lodin, Mateo Peralta, Emileo Peralta, Leo Peralta, Max Klein, and Reid Klein. 

Butch was born in Sparta, WI, and lived in Rockford, IL, until 1952. His parents then bought Eldo Shores Resort in Backus. His job was to build cabins, catch minnows for the guests, guide them to some good fishing spots, and clean their fish. At Backus High School he played football, basketball, and baseball before graduating in 1960. He then studied at Brainerd Junior College, where he met “the love of his life,” Dianne. 

Butch followed his father and grandfather into the ironworking trade by completing a three-year apprenticeship at Local 512 in St. Paul. Butch spent 35 years as an ironworker, specializing in elevator-entrance construction. His professional accomplishments included working on the original Guthrie Theater, the IDS building, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and Paisley Park – the home of Prince. He also owned and operated the Moorhead Brookdale Dairy Queen Brazier for several years.

Butch enjoyed being active with his family and communities. He served as a Babe Ruth baseball coach, trudged around outdoor hockey rinks on cold winter days with his kids, belonged to the Knights of Columbus and the Sons of the American Legion, enjoyed spending some retirement time as president of the Pine Mountaineer Senior Citizens Center, and was often the host for the Backus High School Class of 1960 reunions. 

More than anything, Butch was an outdoorsman. He loved to duck hunt and deer hunt in the Foothills State Forest and was an accomplished trapper of just about everything – which included being a state certified wolf trapper and instructor. He was a bird watcher, a wild ricer, a gardener extraordinaire, and, as everyone knew, a fanatic about his lawn. But most of all, Butch was happiest when fishing with his wife and family. When the kids were young, a “family vacation” meant a fishing trip to Sioux Lookout, Ontario. He loved teaching his grandkids how to fish (or just spending time on the water hanging out should the fish not be biting). It didn’t matter if it was summer or winter, he could find the fish and was willing to share his time and his tips whether one was a newbie or an old fishing partner. 

Butch was beloved – as a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. He served these roles, whether related or not. He will be missed by many.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Hackensack, MN. A visitation will be one hour prior to the service.