Clayton Lorentz Diskerud

Surrounded by family at his home in Waverly, MN, Clayton Lorentz Diskerud passed away on October 22, 2022, at the age of 85.

The son of Helma (Nelson) and David Diskerud, Clayton was born in Minneapolis in 1937. He grew up in St. Louis, MO, attending elementary and junior high school there before the family moved to Riverdale, ND. After graduating from Riverdale High School, Clayton attended Carthage College at its original campus in Carthage, IL. There he met the love of his life, Shirley Eller. They graduated in 1959 and were married that summer. The newlyweds moved to Minneapolis, where Clayton earned his Masters in Education at the University of Minnesota.

In 1963, Clayton accepted a job offer from his alma mater, prompting a return to Carthage. The college had just relocated to a beautiful new campus on the shores of Lake Michigan in Kenosha, WI. Clayton spent his entire career there, inspiring students for over 35 years through courses taught in Criminal Justice, Political Science, and his favorite: Racial and Cultural Minorities. In 2000, Carthage honored him with their Distinguished Alumni Award. The college remained an important part of Clayton's entire life. He and Shirley frequently attended Homecoming events, hosted alumni gatherings, maintained close friendships with many dear classmates and colleagues, and often supported the college through gifts and memorials.

In addition to teaching, Clayton was a talented writer. His column, Clayton's Corner was a regular feature in the Kenosha News for many years. While he was considered an outdoor columnist, Clayton developed a following that extended far beyond anglers, hunters and environmentalists. This was due to his sharp wit and the interesting history, trivia, and personal anecdotes he wove into his writing. Upon retirement, he and Shirley moved back to Minnesota. There Clayton found a new home for his column at the Annandale Advocate. Clayton's Corner was a popular feature for the newspaper for 25 years.

Clayton survived colorectal cancer at the age of 75. At the suggestion of his oncologist, he joined a gym to improve his overall health. Before long he hired a personal trainer and began training for the Minnesota Senior Olympics. A bronze medal win in the javelin at his first Senior Games was just the beginning. After that he added the North and South Dakota Games to his schedule; and his list of events grew to include the discus, shot put, long jump, standing broad jump, 100-yard and 50-yard dashes and baseball throw. A two-year cancellation of the Games due to Covid, and the return of his cancer in 2021 ended Clayton's participation in the Senior Games, but not before he tallied an impressive medal count: 4 bronze, 5 silver and a whopping 23 gold.

Clayton was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. He enjoyed meeting friends for coffee or breakfast, exploring country roads on leisurely drives with Shirley, taking his labradoodle Ebony to the park, doing Cryptogram puzzles, watching favorite TV shows (Jeopardy and Sunday Morning), and following sports (especially St. Louis Cardinals baseball and Vikings football). His very favorite pastimes however, were fishing and the telling of fish stories.

Clayton was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Warren Diskerud and sister-in-law Rebecca Diskerud. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Shirley (Eller) Diskerud; son William (Mary) Diskerud; daughter Debra (Randy) Hatanpa; grandchildren Lauren (Brian) Doolan; Nicholas (Alexa) Diskerud; Kaitlyn Diskerud, Matthew (Amy) Hatanpa; Micka (AJ) Sieve; Corey Hatanpa and Chad Hatanpa; 5 great-grandchildren; brother David (Alfreda) Diskerud; sister-in-law Darlene Bueker; cousin June (Michael) Parsons; 6 nieces, 3 nephews, and many friends.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Clayton Diskerud will be held at St. John's Lutheran Church in Annandale on Tuesday, November 1st at 11:00 a.m., following a visitation at 10:00 a.m. Memorials may be made to Carthage College, the American Cancer Society or St. John's Lutheran Church.

Obituary, Tribute Wall, Video Tribute and Funeral Webcast online at www.dingmannfuneral.com

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