Gary Wigdahl

Blue-Ribbon Award-winning journalist Gary Merle Wigdahl, passed away from bladder cancer on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at the Minnesota Veteran's Home in Fergus Falls at the age of 83. Gary, a lifelong resident of the Rothsay area, had resided at the Fergus Falls Veteran's home since 2016.

Gary was born in Hollywood, California on July 20, 1942 to John O. Wigdahl and Thelma Lunda Wigdahl. In October of 1942, Gary and his mother Thelma moved to Minnesota to live with her parents Magnus and Alma Lund on their farm while John was off serving his country in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Gary spent the bulk of his childhood in Rothsay. He completed his elementary and high school education in the Rothsay School District, graduating from high school in 1960. Gary entered Fergus Falls Junior College in the fall of 1960 and graduated with an Associate of Arts Degree in 1962. He continued his education at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism in 1965. While earning his undergraduate education, Gary honed his craft of journalism through writing for several publications: the Fergus Falls Daily Journal, The Fargo Forum, the Grand Forks Herald, and his school papers.

After completing undergraduate education, Gary entered the Army in 1965 where he served in the Signal Corps in Germany during the Vietnam Conflict. Upon completion of his service, he was honorably discharged in October of 1968. Gary then decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Journalism at the University of Missouri. This gave him the opportunity to spend some time in Washington, D.C. where he worked as a Washington Correspondent. He graduated with his Master's Degree in 1971.

Gary was a highly esteemed editor. He contributed to the Grant County Herald in Elbow Lake, MN and the Cambridge Star in Cambridge, MN. He was also an accomplished layout editor on the paper in Mankato, MN. He combined his gift of writing and his love of history in his book "Twixt Hill and Prairie." The book is a well-researched history of the Rothsay area and was featured at the Rothsay Centennial Celebration in 1983. He also contributed numerous historical articles about the Rothsay area to the Rothsay Regional Report for the 125th Anniversary Celebration in 2008.

He was active in the Rothsay community volunteering his services at Partners, Senior Citizens, and the Lake Agassiz Regional Library. He also was on the committees for the Rothsay Centennial in 1983 and the 125th Reunion in 2008. Gary was a member of the New Life Lutheran Church and of the Fergus Falls chapter of The Sons of Norway.

Family was very important to Gary. He did much research on his genealogy and wrote many informative articles documenting the names of many ancestors, where the had emigrated from in Norway, dates they arrived in America, and where they immigrated to in America.

Gary was a central part of family gatherings throughout his childhood and throughout his adulthood. While he had brought his ancestors to life through his writing, he documented the lives of his current family members through another great love of his; photography. Gary delighted his nieces and nephews with candid photos of their sporting events, as well as capturing special moments at many family gatherings. He lavished his nieces and nephews with love and attention and was loved and adored by them in return. Indeed, he is deeply loved by his whole family. We were blessed by his gentle soul, his playful spirit, his kind heart, and his keen intellect.

Preceding him in death were his parents, John and Thelma Wigdahl; his grandparents, Gabriel and Clara Wigdahl and Magnus and Alma Lund, and many aunts, uncles, and some cousins.

Gary is survived by his sisters, Ann Young of Clio, MI, Sonja Anderson of Blaine, MN and Rebecca Nielsen of Bemidji; brother-in-law, Bruce Anderson of Coon Rapids, MN, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, great-grand-nieces, and great-grand-nephews.

Memorial Service: 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 24, 2026 at Olson Funeral and Cremation in Fergus Falls, with visitation one-hour prior to the service.

Clergy: Reverend Randy Whitehead

Military Participation: Fergus Falls V.F.W. Post 612 and Fergus Falls American Legion Post 30

Interment: Hamar Cemetery, Rothsay, MN

Arrangements provided by Olson Funeral and Cremation in Fergus Falls.

Online condolences may be sent to www.olsonfuneralhome.com