Walter E. Taipale

Walter E. Taipale, 85, Maple, passed away Feb. 10, 2012, at Middle River Health Facility.

Walter was born Sept. 18, 1926, in Oulu, to John and Mary Taipale.

He served in the Merchant Marines, worked as a logger with his father and brother Harvey and was a hobby farmer. Walter will be most remembered as a master craftsman and carpenter. As the owner of Riverside Builders, he built homes and cabins throughout the area, from simple to ornate, including many along the Brule River. He could build just about anything with wood and was always working on something in his shop.

Walter was an avid deer and moose hunter and looked forward to heading out into the woods every year with his boys and pockets full of hunting candy. In the summers, he could always be found in his garden, keeping the whole family stocked with fresh vegetables. Other interests over the years were snowmobiling with friends, fishing and looking for deals at rummage and auction sales. He also loved to travel, and you never knew when he'd load the family into the Chevy and head off to explore new roads, with the most important rule being that you could never drive home on the same road you came on.

Walter is survived by his wife of 62 years, Bernice, Maple; six children, Larry (Carol) Taipale, Maple, Karen (Palmer) Rask, Mesa, Ariz., Tom Taipale, Iron River, Peggy Johnson, Iron River, Jan (Mark) Tyson, Rosemount, Minn., and Sue (Geoff) Couling, Bloomington, Minn.; one brother, Veikko Taipale, Sturgeon Lake, Minn.; sisters-in-law Gertrude Taipale, Superior and Joanne O'Connor, Sebastapol, Calif.; brother-in-law Robert (Velvet) Rantala, Grantsburg, Wis; 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.

He loved spending time with all of his family and loved to take the grandkids out on his four-wheeler.

He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Taipale; brothers Roy, Lesley, Harvey, Eugene and Allen; sister Martha Laakso; daughter-in-law Kathy Taipale; and son-in-law Chris Johnson.

Visitation will be held from 9 until the 11 a.m. memorial service Friday, Feb. 17, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Iron River. Lunch will follow the service at the Iron River Community Center.

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