Lloyd Theodore Ernst

He was born March 8, 1929. He grew up and attended school in the Rice River/McGregor area.  He was a Private First Class in the U.S. Army and served in Japan.  Right before he closed his eyes for the last time, he looked up intently and lifted his shaky, thin arm and saluted.

He was preceded in death by his mother Anna Peysar, brothers, Kenneth Ernst and Clifford Ernst, his first wife, Helen Elaine Jarvi, his second wife, Carol Powers Ernst, and his daughter, Barbara Elaine Pearson.  Lloyd was survived by his children and their spouses, Susan Kavanaugh (Timothy), Kathryn Baldwin (Brian), (Tony Pearson, Barb’s husband), Step daughters Becci Powers-Johnson and Judi Kasner, grandchild, Kaitlyn Roach (Rex); his beloved great grandchildren, Braylin and Miles; and step grandchildren, Andrew Kasner, Benjamin Kasner, Kelsi Johnson, and Derrick Johnson.  We were fortunate to spend his 95^th Birthday with him, even though he wanted to forget about birthdays.

Lloyd raised his 3 girls in Anoka/Coon Rapids.  He was a successful cement contractor and builder.  He loved his children and grandchild and especially enjoyed those great grands.  He loved Florida and spent every winter there for the past 30 years.  He spent his time in Florida with Barb and Tony and several close relatives.  He enjoyed fishing, boating, golfing and was always willing to go out and eat. He was an avid reader and no one loved television more than he did.  He visited Alaska every summer and went fishing for salmon on the Kenai Peninsula. He would bring home salmon and then throw a big salmon fry at his cabin in Wisconsin for friends and family.  He loved that cabin!  He loved to travel and visited Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and all over the United States.  Dad had a sharp, dry sense of humor and remained that way until a week before his death.

At the end of his life, Dad accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and is happily in heaven.  He is a testimony to the grace, love and mercy of our amazing God who will save one of his children at the 11^th hour and practically 59 minutes.  The Chaplin came right before his death and we all prayed around dad, he died 5 minutes later.  It was a beautiful thing to witness how it all worked out.  Our God is an awesome God.

A funeral will be held at the Brenny Family Funeral Chapel at 7348 Excelsior Road, Baxter, MN, on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.  Visitation will be at 11 am with the service at noon.  Burial will be at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Annandale, MN, the next day at 1:00 pm.  He will be buried next to Carol.