Merle "Pete" Nordstrom

A visitation for Merle “Pete” Nordstrom of Donnelly, Minnesota, will be held on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 from 5 to 7:00 p.m. at the Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris. Burial will be at Vinger Cemetery in Donnelly, at a later date.

Merle Ray “Pete” Nordstrom, son of Theodore and Josephine (Olson) Nordstrom was born May 10, 1945 in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Pete grew up and attended school in Aberdeen, graduating from Aberdeen High School. After graduation he moved to Morris where he worked at the Morris School Bus Garage, with is father-in-law Delmer Schmidt. Pete went on to join the United States Navy in 1969 where he served as a Seabee until 1972.

Pete started truck driving when he returned home. Duke Eystad taught him how to drive a semi-truck and he worked for Eystad Trucking for awhile. Later he began working for Systems Trucking out of Spokane, Washington. While working for them, he had a horrible accident near Truckee, California, going through the windshield, over a 200 ft cliff, and landing 50 ft from the Truckee River. It was amazing he survived, but not without tremendous pain and instability to his body. He recovered as much as possible and went back to driving for EW Wylie, out of Fargo, North Dakota. In 1984, Pete got a job at the Post Office in Morris, and would go on to retire from there 25 years later. Following retirement, he enjoyed life with his wife Janet,  at their home in Donnelly. In 2016, his wife Janet passed away. Kristi moved back from Alaska, with her husband Rob, to be closer to her dad. In January of 2023, Pete moved into Traverse County Care Center, where he stayed until his passing.

Pete enjoyed fishing and going camping early on in his life. Later in life he enjoyed watching baseball, gardening with his wife Janet and wood working. Pete’s favorite thing to do was driving truck with his friend Duke Eystad.

Pete died on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at the Traverse County Care Center in Wheaton, Minnesota. He was 78 years old.

He is survived by one daughter: Kristi (Rob) Pace of Donnelly; two grandchildren: Chris Mahan of Hawaii and Trevor Steger of Alaska; two brothers: Del Nordstrom of Renner, SD and Gary Nordstrom of Jacksonville, FL; two sisters: Mary Ann Hilgemann of Norwalk, IA and Jolaine Egnew of Corona, CA; former wife: Deloris Nordstrom of Donnelly; and several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by wife: Janet Nordstrom; his parents; brother: Al Nordstrom; sister: Arlene Eden; infant sister: Joyce Nordstrom; and four nephews: Russell Nordstrom, Robert Nordstrom, Randy Nordstrom, and Roy Hilgemann.

Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris is in care of the arrangements for Pete.