Calvin E. Rolstad

Calvin Ernest Rolstad, 99, of Lino Lakes, Minnesota, went to be with the Lord on June 21, 2025. Born on April 18, 1926 in Granite Falls, MN to Norwegian immigrant parents. He is preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Eileen and son Arne; his parents John Rolstad and Randi (Aspen) Rolstad; brothers Bill, Clifford, Oscar, Robert, Stanley; sisters Agnes, Esther, Stella. Prior to his death, Calvin was the last survivor in the John Rolstad family. Calvin is survived by sons, Bernard (Nancy), Gary (Estelle), Randy (Kathie); Daughter Nancy Laudise (Dave Herzog). Calvin has eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Calvin had his early years in Granite Falls, but with the Depression coming on in 1929 considerable economic pressure came to the Rolstad family. Calvin was the youngest child in his family, but many of his older siblings were still around the house, as finding work was very difficult. The family moved to the Mille Lacs Lake area based on a friend telling his parents things were better there, this was a fallacy and caused greater economic struggle for the Rolstad’s. The family had to really pull together for economic survival and ended up moving once more to the Milaca, MN area. This struggle forged an unusually strong bond between Calvin and his siblings, as in good economics times the older children (up to 20 years older) would likely have moved on, but tough times kept them around home. This effected Calvin’s entire life as he was very close to his siblings and went on to frequently visit his siblings in later years, almost every weekend.

The Depression had another effect on Calvin, that was “everything has value,” you don’t discard something as it may be of use in the future. Calvin was always looking to repurpose things, and worked hours to repurpose an item that could often times be purchased for much less value than his time spent. This repurpose effect remained with him for his entire life.

Calvin grew up on a farm near Milaca, he attended school in a one room school house with no electricity, using wood stove heat, and an outhouse. The teacher had all the grades (1 to 8) to educate, being concerned with wood for the stove and getting water from the outside hand pump (also clearing ice off the drinking water barrel each morning). Calvin completed his education at eight grade. Calvin kept in touch with his school teacher Leola and school mate Alice, he made visits to see his teacher through his life, she passed away last fall (Oct. 2024) at 105 years of age.

With school completed he went to work for a local farmer. He moved to the Nelson Farm at age fourteen, still keeping in close contact with his family. Farming was very labor intensive on the Nelson farm and fieldwork was still being done with work horses. A big change came along when Mr. Nelson bought a new Model B Allis Chalmers tractor. Calvin developed a strong interest in Allis Chalmers tractors, especially the Model B and he later went on to own at least three Model B and several WC Allis tractors. With WWll arriving his older brothers went in the military, brother Oscar received a Purple Heart. Calvin was deemed to be important to the war effort staying on the farm to produce food. He stayed and continued to work on the Nelson Farm into the late 1940’s.

Calvin loved music, he played the guitar and connected with local musicians around the Milaca area. He began playing for dances with fellow musicians in the 1940’s. Calvin was playing at the Silver Pheasant Tavern (later known as the Kitten Club) in Long Siding when he met Eileen Koch in 1945, the love of his life, she was sixteen years old. Calvin (eighteen years old) and his brother Stanley were the two-piece band providing dance music. Calvin and Eileen began dating soon after meeting. This was very near the end of WWII and entertainment was very limited, their dates included going to movies at the local theatre and seeing Calvin when he played that the Silver Pheasant. Calvin married Eileen June 9, 1947, they were married for 68 years.

Playing music was an important part of Calvin’s life. His instrument of choice, guitar, became a challenge later when he accidently cut off the tip of his middle finger on his left hand, with a wood planer. This led to an instrument change and he took up accordion. He played the accordion, guitar, harmonica and occasionally other instruments. He had a band with his sons Bernard and Gary playing for all occasions, including hundreds of weddings over a period nearly forty years in MN. He did some recording of the music including a CD of his works. He had many music parties at his home with his musician friends and family.

In the late 1940’s he began looking for other career opportunities and connected with Mr. Broberg from Milaca, Mr. Broberg was a bricklayer and hired Calvin to do bricklayer labor work. Mr. Broberg taught Calvin how to lay brick and that became Calvin’s new trade. Calvin worked in the masonry construction industry as a bricklayer and stone mason, primarily in residential construction. He worked for Gilbert & Koch Const. Co. for decades before starting his own construction company, Cal-Ran Const. Co. He was known for his great artistic skills laying brick with design and crafting beautiful stone fireplaces. With great privilege and joy Calvin had his son Randy working with him every work day for many years at Cal-Ran Construction. Many new homes reflect the artisan work of this team. Calvin would remember most of these houses he worked on, when driving around the Twin Cities, he would tell you “I worked on this and that house”, along with any challenges of that particular job. He seemed to remember ever house he worked on. He always critiqued most brick and stone work telling what was “wrong or right” with that job. Amazingly when he worked on field stone fireplaces, he had many stones brought into the area and he would look the stones over and select the next stone that would fit like a puzzle into the next spot on the fireplace, he was so gifted with this ability.

Calvin and Eileen (his new bride) in 1947 needed a place to live, he accommodated his new wife building a house trailer, in which they lived for several years in Roseville and a trailer park in New Brighton, MN. Calvin bought a city lot on 8th avenue in New Brighton in the early 1950’s and he built a red brick house. At the New Brighton location, a family began and now four children were added to Calvin’s life. He moved his family to Lino Lakes in 1961 from the house he built in New Brighton and built another “Red Brick House” in Lino Lakes. He would say “I have only lived in houses I have built.” In 1964 at the Lino Lakes location, son Arne joined the family, bringing the family to five children, Arne tragically drowned in 1966. Calvin loved his children dearly to the point of helping them to locate their new homes very close to his house that he built in 1961. He significantly helped them build new homes “next door” to be surrounded by his children.

Calvin had many skills, that were primarily self-taught. He enjoyed machinery, restoring a 1927 Ford Model T and he enjoyed his Allis Chalmers farm tractors, building a “reverse tractor.” He built truck boxes and other welded structures. He did most of his own maintenance, rarely hiring maintenance, creative help or home improvement. Calvin was very frugal, doing all his own work, another influence of the 1929 Depression.

Calvin always had an angle to extra enterprise. The family was involved in raising (200) butcher roosters yearly, beef cattle, horses, many dogs/cats and even a family mike cow. He had a field of fabulous sweet corn produced every year to be sold on street corners in White Bear Lake. Calvin and his family enjoyed a county living environment as the city grew into the area.

Norwegian stated on Calvin’s monument: Takk For Alt (Thanks for All).