Leslie Stensrud, of Karlstad, MN, passed away on Saturday, December 29, 2018 at Karlstad Senior Living in Karlstad, MN, at the age of 63.

Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 PM on Friday, January 4, 2019 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN with Rev. Thomas Puffe officiating.  Les has decided to donate his body to the UNDSMHS Deeded Body Program at the University of North Dakota.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM on Friday, January 4, 2019 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN.

Leslie (Les) Allen Stensrud was born on February 22, 1955 in Marshall, MN, the son of Cyril and Lois (Pfarr) Stensrud.  He was baptized shortly after birth while still in the hospital.  Sponsors answered for him later at the English Lutheran Church in Cottonwood.

The family moved to Sherack, MN in 1960, where he attended a little country school.  They moved back to Cottonwood.  He went to school there until they moved to Thief River Falls in 1966.  He attended Northrop Elementary.  His favorite teacher was Mrs. Paul Halvorson.

While in 4 ^th and5th grades he sold "Grit" magazine.  Les was confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church.  He worked at Woolworth's after school and on Saturdays, taking care of the birds and animals downstairs.  One summer he worked at the Dine-O-Mite and the Putt-O-Mite.

Upon graduating from Lincoln High School he enlisted in the Air Force.  He wanted to see the world but was based in Grand Forks, ND, guarding missile sites as a security officer.

Les married the love of his life, Christine Ann Johnson on September 22, 1979 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Thief River Falls.  The couple moved to Newfolden and Les worked at Falls Concrete.  They had two children, Shanda Leigh and Chaz Allen.

Les and his family moved to Champlin, MN.  Les worked for Prudential Life for a while.  Then he worked as a foreman at Technical Plating until he broke his back.  When he recovered he went to work at Diversified Plastics Company until non-hodgkins lymphoma struck.

They moved to Karlstad in 2009 and he worked at the Nordheim Restaurant until cancer overwhelmed him.  Les had a never-give-up attitude and fought a 13 year battle with cancer.

You would rarely see Les take a seat, did anything and everything for his family, and all the while with a smile on his face.  Les enjoyed playing darts, Cribbage and Farkle.  He loved his cat, George dearly and anybody that walked into his home – he welcomed everyone.

Survivors are his children:  Shanda (Jeremy) Coons of Hanover, MN, and Chaz Stensrud of Thief River Falls, MN; grandchildren:  Skyler Koop and Darian Coons; his father and mother:  Cyril and Lois Stensrud of Thief River Falls, MN; sister:  Kathy (Richard) Grandbois of St. Hilaire, MN; brother:  Clint (Addy) Stensrud of Paynesville, MN; sister-in-law:  Virginia (Ginny)  Stensrud of Thief River Falls, MN; brothers-in-law, Mike (Leone) Johnson of Strandquist, MN, and Bruce (Marion) Johnson of Strandquist, MN; many nieces, nephews, and his Farkle playing buddy, Gig Aleskic.

His wife of 36 years passed away in 2015.  Les is also preceded in death by both sets of grandparents:  John and Elizabeth Stensrud and William and Mathilda Pfarr; brother:  Dan Stensrud in 2017; 14 uncles, 12 aunts, and several cousins.