Leonard Skalsky, 89 year old resident of rural Swanville, MN passed away Sunday, October 6, 2014 at his home in rural Swanville, MN. A Funeral Service will be held at 12 P.M. on Thursday, October 9, 2014 at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN with Father John Odero officiating. Burial will be at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls, MN. Visitation will be from 4-7 P.M. on Wednesday and from 11 AM – 12 PM on Thursday at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls. Military Honors will be conducted by the Minnesota State Honor Guard.
Leonard was born on March 9, 1925 to the late Jake and Mary (Gerving) Skalsky in Glen Ullin, North Dakota. He attended school in the Glen Ullin area. In February 1943, Leonard enlisted in the United States Navy. He served aboard the air craft carrier, U.S.S. Bougainville in the South Pacific, until his honorable discharge in 1946. After, Leonard went to work for Northern Pacific Railroad in Montana as a carpenter on Bridge and Building. He was united in marriage to Charlotte Squires on April 10, 1948 at Forsyth, Montana. Later, the couple moved to Lead, South Dakota, where Leonard worked in the Homestake Gold Mine for 10 years as a contract miner. Being born and raised on a farm, he decided to go back to farming and purchased a dairy farm near Elmdale, Minnesota and farmed there until his retirement. After retiring, Leonard moved to the Swanville/Upsala area to a hobby farm whre he enjoyed raising a few steers and pigs. He enjoyed going out to dinner at Hillcrest in Albany, Kentucky Fried Chicken in Little Falls on Sundays and occasionally at the Upsala Senior Center. Leonard was a past commander of the Upsala American Legion and a Life member of the Swanville V.F.W. and vice President of the Upsala Historical Society. His proudest part of his life was raising his 6 children as a single father with no welfare or child support from their mother.
Leonard is survived by children, Clinton of St. Cloud, MN; Chester of Little Falls, MN; Calvin (Alice) of Browerville, MN; Lester of Eagle Bend, MN; Linda Hubbard of Worth, MO; and Carrie Riddle of Little Falls, MN; 11 grandchildren; brother, Clifford of Mandan, North Dakota; sisters, Lorraine Sheppard of Billings, MT; Virginia (Fred) Muller of Denver, CO; Arlene Schotz of Glen Ullin, ND; Shirley Grose of Bismarck, ND; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, James, Clarence, Ervin, Ernie; sisters; Florence Muse, Betty Vogel and Bernice Korch.
Pallbearers will be Calvin Skalsky, Joe Gardner, Gary Hubbard, D.J. Hubbard, Bruce Johnson and Joe Johnson.
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