Dennis Erling Westerlind, 59, passed away at his home in Grand Portage on February 21, 2020. Dennis was born in Ely, Minnesota, on December 6, 1960. He was the third child of Palmer and Nelda Westerlind. In 1964, when Dennis was three, he moved with his family from Forest Center, Minnesota (a logging camp) to Grand Marais.
Dennis graduated from Cook County High School in 1980. He attended Staples Technical Institute in Staples, Minnesota, for heavy equipment operation and graduated in 1986. He worked for the Youth Conservation Corp during the construction of the Superior Hiking Trail and worked numerous jobs before going to work as a houseman at Grand Portage Lodge in April 1992. He continued to work in Grand Portage at various different jobs including sawmill laborer, hard/soft count in the casino, community center custodian, casino housekeeper, dishwasher and bus driver.
At the time of his death, he was the Head Start bus driver and worked for the Elder Nutrition Program in maintenance, doing whatever needed to be done for the elders. He really enjoyed driving the Head Start bus and talked often about driving the elders to different activities in Canada, Duluth, and throughout the country.
Dennis shared his mother’s love of genealogy. He liked learning all about his Linnell Family history and discovering different family connections in Cook County.
Dennis was a man of few words, but he loved his family and the farm. He especially loved being an uncle and was delighted that his niece Rebecca was born on his birthday.
He found his “home” working and living in Grand Portage and he liked introducing his family to his co-workers and supervisors. Our family is grateful that everybody in Grand Portage looked out for him and made him feel like family.
Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Palmer and Nelda Westerlind. He is survived by his sister Susan Westerlind; brothers Martin “Wes” and Eugene “Geno” Westerlind; nephew Roger (Andrea) Westerlind, niece Rebecca (Henry) Westerlind, and great nieces, RosaBella Arrellin and Neveah Westerlind.
He left us way too soon and he will be missed by his family, co-workers and friends.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2020, 2 p.m., at the Mount Rose Baptist Church on Stevens Road in Grand Portage. A reception will follow the service. We invite everyone to share food, refreshments and stories with his family.
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