Sidney "Sid" Kjeldahl

Sidney A. “Sid” Kjeldahl, age 92 of Sauk Centre, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family from complications of a stroke on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 8 at First Lutheran Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Allan Mortenson officiating. Inurnment will be at Long Bridge Lutheran Cemetery near Little Sauk at a later date. Please wear a Norwegian sweater to honor Sid and his Norwegian heritage.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the church. If you desire, please wear something flannel, one of Sid’s favorites, to Friday’s visitation.

Sidney Arthur Kjeldahl was born June 20, 1932 in Belgrade, Minnesota to Samuel and Agnes (Fauskee) Kjeldahl. He spent his childhood in Belgrade and graduated from Belgrade High School in 1951. Sid furthered his education at Augsburg College for one year and earned his Bachelor of Science degrees from St. Cloud State University. He served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1956. He was united in marriage to Nancy Pepin on July 7, 1962 in Swanville, Minnesota. Sid’s teaching career began in Pequot Lakes followed by Menahga, Grey Eagle, and lastly at Sauk Centre, retiring in 1995. Sid and Nancy purchased their lot on the Sauk River in 1965 where they built their dream home and raised their two children.

He was a member of the National Rifle Association, West Central Muzzleloaders Association, Todd County Historical Society, and was very active in the churches Sid attended. His love of music drove him to learn to play the fiddle at age 50, and he became a charter member of the Minnesota State Fiddlers Association. Sid enjoyed the outdoors, loved to hunt, and was an archeologist enthusiast. He was proud of his Norwegian heritage, had a wonderful sense of humor, and will be remembered for being a gentle man that could strike up a conversation with anybody. His greatest joy in life was spending time with his family and sharing his love with them, whether it be stories at the hunting land, sitting at the kitchen table, or by the fireplace; all of these have made countless, cherished memories that will live on in our hearts.

Survivors include his loving wife of 62 years, Nancy Kjeldahl of Sauk Centre; children, Kirsten (Kurt) Skillings of Freeport and Klint (Cindy) Kjeldahl of Maple Grove; four grandchildren, Casey (Jenna) Skillings, Carly (Shawn) Linn, Kyra Kjeldahl, and Anna Kjeldahl; four great-grandchildren, Makenna, Nora, Hudson, and Archie, with one on the way; brother-in-law, Marvin Ziner of Elk River; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Sid was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Glenn Kjeldahl and Bill Kjeldahl; and sisters, Doris Ziner and Dorothy Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.